The Atwood Sister
by juniormands
Summary: Ryan brings his younger sister Rachel with him to New Port, hoping to give her better life. Seth is instantly attracted to her and wishes to take their growing friendship further. Things take a turn for the worse when Rachel's past comes back to haunt her
1. The Family

**THE FAMILY**

Ryan drove the black four-wheel drive, Chino disappearing in his rear-view mirror. Somehow he hoped that this was the last time he would have to lay eyes on the town in which he grew up. There were too many tragic memories. Too many times where he thought that he would rather end everything then stay and face the consequences. Too many times where he had been caught up in life or death situations.

Ryan knew that he had a new life now and that it was a good one, better than any he could have ever dreamed of. He had a loving girlfriend, caring foster family and was starting a good education.

But even as he thought about these wonderful and fulfilling things he remembered the one thing that had kept him from taking one step too many and going over the edge when he had lived in Chino. And that one thing took the form of a fifteen-year-old girl sitting in the seat beside him. She was beautiful, with short brown hair, straight like his own and shining hazel eyes. Her eyes told her story, one of trials and triumph. An inner strength was seen through them and yet, despite the illusion given by her toned figure, they carried a sense of vulnerability. She wore an army green no-sleeved top and black pants, a studded belt around her waist. A silver chain circled her slender neck, a small silver cross hanging from the front.

She was his sister, the one girl in the entire world who saw him for who is truly was. She saw past the scars and the tough attitude. She knew the real Ryan more than anyone else ever would. She had saved him from destruction, from losing control when times were hard.

Now it was his chance to save her.

.........

Rachel had slept for most of the drive, the tiredness finally weighing her down too much. Ryan had awoken her when they had reached the house, or rather what appeared to Rachel to be an entire hotel.

Orange County was everything that represented happiness. The sun shined brightly upon the spotless ground. Grand, expanding houses lined the colourful street. This was everything that Rachel had been promised once when she was younger by her then sober mother. However, after years went by to prevail Rachel had lost hope completely. Even seeing what she did now, she still couldn't believe.

"Are you alright?"

Ryan was standing beside her now as she leaned on the closed car door and took in everything around her.

"We don't have to go straight in if you don't want."

"No," Rachel replied. "I'm okay."

Months had pasted since the pair had layed eyes on each other and Ryan couldn't help but think that maybe that was why Rachel was being so distant. He thought that maybe she was unsure of how to react around him.

Together they walked into the house and around to the kitchen all the while Rachel was pinching herself trying to wake up from the dream.

"Oiw."

"What?" Ryan asked.

"Pinched too hard," she replied with a half smile.

Maybe they were okay after all and Ryan's earlier worries were not true.

As they entered the kitchen an older man and woman greeted them.

"Ryan, you're back," the man said. "We weren't expecting you 'till later."

"I like to surprise," Ryan replied.

Rachel stood by him awkwardly, aware that the woman was staring at her expectantly. She decided it might be best to just give her a smile so that she didn't seem like a complete snob.

"Kirsten," the woman said giving her a little nod.

"Rachel," Rachel replied.

"Oh, where are my manners," the man began.

"Out with the trash," Kirsten answered.

Rachel smiled at the comment. She couldn't believe what she was witnessing, a real married couple, a real, in love, married couple. Not like her parents, her father whom she didn't even know. Her mother brought home wave after wave of men, each as vile and disgusting as the next.

"Sandy Cohen, it's nice to meet you," the man ended. "And thank you for that little joke."

"Nice to finally meet you too," Rachel replied.

"Here let me take that to the guest room," Sandy said reaching for the bag she had slung over her shoulder.

"No, it's okay, I can take it."

"Rachel, you are a guest in this house, please, allow me."

She surrendered the bag over to him a little overwhelmed by their hospitality and kindness.

"Why doesn't she sleep in the pool house with Ryan," Kirsten suggested. "That way she has something familiar with her when she wakes up in this overwhelming place."

_Overwhelming, that's an understatement,_ Rachel thought.

"There's only one bed in there Honey," Sandy replied.

"I don't mind where I stay, really. I don't want you to make a fuss," Rachel insisted.

"Not at all. We just want you to be comfortable."

"I think even if I slept on the floor it would be a huge step up the comfort ladder compared to what I'm used to."

The couple fell silent unsure of how to reply to the comment. Kirsten and Sandy knew what the Atwood children had lived with their entire lives but it was made all the more real when brought up in conversation. It was Ryan who broke the silence.

"Why doesn't she just stay with me, the bed's big enough for too, plus she's only small."

"Hey!" Rachel protested.

"In a good way."

Sandy nodded. "If that's what makes you both happy, I'll go and put this in the pool house."

He turned and left with Rachel's bag clutched in his hand.

"Why don't you take Rachel to meet Seth," Kirsten suggested to Ryan.

"Okay."

He guided Rachel toward the stairs and knocked loudly on one of the doors.

"Come in if you're beautiful," came a voice from inside the room.

Rachel raised an eyebrow at the comment. "Guess I'm out."

Ryan shook his head and opened the door.

"Ah, Ryan, of course you would think you are what I mentioned in my previous comment." His eyes fell on Rachel. "However, I believe the real winner here is you my lady."

"Smooth Seth, real smooth," Ryan mumbled.

"Usually a guy would get his ass kicked for saying something like that," Rachel said tilting her head.

Seth stood from his bed and walked over to her.

"And today?"

Rachel smiled. "I think I'll let it slide."

Seth carried an aura around him, one of fun and incredible charisma. Rachel liked it. He wasn't too harsh on the eyes either, with and inquisitive face and shaggy brown hair. Definitely a step up from the scum she was used to.

"Ryan!" They heard Sandy call from downstairs call.

"I'll be back," Ryan said before disappearing down the hallway.

Rachel watched him go.

"So...I'm Seth," Seth said a little distracted by the girls' beauty.

She was indeed a sight to be seen. Despite all that he had been told about her, Seth couldn't picture such a girl being brought up in a horrid place like Chino. The only give-away was in the way she held herself. She had a strength there, like she knew how to handle herself no matter what.

"Yeah, I kinda figured," Rachel said smiling. "Rachel."

"So you're the sister."

"That's what they call the daughter."

"Interesting."

They stood silently for a while just looking at each other. Really looking. Something had clicked between them the moment that their eyes had met, something deep. It was only when Ryan came back into the room was the trance broken and Seth looked away ashamed, and partially worried about what Ryan's reaction would be if he knew he found his sister attractive.

"You're things have all been put away," he sad to Rachel.

"Things?"

"Okay, your _bag_ has been put away. Marissa might have to take you shopping for some new stuff, just to make you feel more at home."

"Ah, yes, what else makes a girl feel more wanted than shopping with someone she doesn't even know," Rachel commented. "You know me better than that Ry'."

"Marissa's his girlfriend," Seth answered.

Rachel turned to Ryan. "You have a girlfriend? Geez, the only thing that you've ever had that could partially be considered a girlfriend was Katrina from the other side of town. What was it, three hours that one lasted?"

"I thought you were a real womaniser," Seth commented. "Or were you just saying that to boost your own ego?"

"Oh, he was a womaniser, he just didn't stick around long enough to find out if there was anything there. You know, break the horse and then let it run free."

Ryan glared at her. "Thankyou Rach, really, very informing."

Rachel looked away from him a little upset at his stern reaction.

"I'm gonna go unpack," she said.

"I'll show you where..." Ryan began.

"No. I'll just ask Kirsten." She turned and left.

Seth was smiling now, he couldn't help it, what he had just layed his eyes on was a million dollars worth of gold. When Ryan saw the expression he narrowed his eyes.

"What?" He asked.

Seth looked at him. "She's pretty cool."

"Yeah, everybody loves her," he mocked.

"Why so glum?"

"I dunno, it's just different having her back, it's been so long."

"You'll be fine, plus I think my mum likes having a little more femininity in the house."

"You give off enough for everyone to share."

"Hey!"

**_TO BE CONTINUED........._**

(So what do you guys think so far. I know it was a little rough, but obviously I needed an introduction to the new character and what better way to do it then by moving her into the Cohen's with Ryan. I also would like some suggestions for a story title cos i don't really like this one. Anyways, please review and give any suggestions as to how you would like to see things play out.)


	2. The Girl Next Door

**THE GIRL NEXT DOOR**

In the days, which followed Rachel's arrival in New Port she had began to settle down into her new life. Seth and her were beginning to form a strong bond of friendship, though at times it seemed as though it was more. Ryan was loosening up as he and Rachel again fell into the routine of playing brother and sister. And the Sandy and Kirsten were happy to have a new face around the house.

"Bacon and eggs?" Sandy asked Rachel as she walked into the kitchen that morning.

"I'll pass, but thanks," she replied.

"Rachel you don't have to say thankyou to everything. I know you are grateful."

Seth flew into the kitchen. "Ooh, bacon and eggs, I'll take some, and don't skimp on the oily goodness."

He sat down and flipped open the newspaper.

"See what I mean," Sandy said.

Rachel smiled.

"So what's the plan for today?" Seth asked no one in particular.

"Your mother and I were going to see the new estates down the road, I'm not sure how long it will take," Sandy answered.

"Rachel..."

"What? Oh, I dunno, haven't really thought about it yet," she replied sitting down across from him.

"You Chino folk really don't like to plan out your days do you?"

"We like to keep it interesting."

"Well, seeing as this is the last day you will have company because – dare I say it – we have school tomorrow, why don't Ryan – or Ry' as you call him – and I take you out for some fun filled fun," Seth said getting up and leaning on the back of Rachel's chair.

"In what language does that make any sense?" Sandy asked taking the bacon from the pan and serving it out onto two plates.

"In the world of the teen dad, I knew you wouldn't understand," Seth said. "So, what do you say Rach?" He asked rapping his arms around her and resting his head on her shoulder.

Rachel looked at him, their faces so close. "It sounds like...fun."

.........

Later that afternoon, upon their arrival back home after a fun filled day of fun, Ryan, Seth and Rachel were intercepted by Julie Cooper who had been fare-welling a friend.

"Ryan, Seth," she said as a way of greeting.

"Julie," Seth replied.

"Hi Mrs. Cooper," Ryan said.

"Soon to be former, Mrs. Cooper, thankyou very much," she hissed. "I see the new cleaning lady has arrived," she said looking at Rachel.

"I see that all that colour in your hair must be effecting your vision," Rachel replied sarcastically.

Julie fell silent. "Well I have never met a more rude maid in my life."

"Clearly you've never met a maid because generally they wear a uniform and I don't see one on me right now."

Ryan stepped in now, with Seth trying his hardest not to laugh out loud.

"This is my sister Rachel, she's living with me and the Cohen's now."

"Oh really," Julie replied looking the new girl up and down. "Well I suggest you be careful missy, or you'll find yourself in more trouble than you can poke a stick at."

"I didn't know you should poke a stick at trouble," Rachel replied. "And the names Rachel, not Missy."

Julie glared at her and Seth could practically see the steam shooting out from her ears. He wasn't sure if anyone had ever spoken to Julie in this way before, especially someone whom had just arrived in town.

"You don't want to mess with me Rachel, I hope these boys have taught you that. And you especially don't want to see me get angry."

"Well I read somewhere that after having botox injections you can't show emotions for three hours, so I might have to wait a little longer to see those fireworks."

Julie gasped and stormed away from them.

"That was cool," Seth said.

.........

The next morning, Rachel awoke from a deep sleep only to find that she was alone in the pool house. She shot upright and looked around expecting to see Ryan when her eyes fell on a folded piece of paper resting on the pillow beside her. She leaned over and opened it.

_Gone to school. Didn't want to wake you. There's some fruit and juice in the kitchen for breakfast. Have a good day. I'll see you later._

_Love Ryan. ï_

Rachel lay back down a grin stretching across her features. He always drew a smiley face

_Guess he hasn't changed much after all,_ she thought.

............

Later that day Ryan and Seth walked into the house after and long and boring day of school. Time seemed to crawl by as they sat through class after class and it was only now that they could truly loosen up.

"Rach, we're back!" Ryan called from the front door as they stepped inside.

There was no response.

"She might be out back," Seth suggested.

As they moved through the house and arrived at the kitchen Ryan spotted a noted stuck to the fridge. He took it down and read it.

_Knew this would be the first place you two would go. Out to get milk with money Kirsten gave me. Back soon. Love you both._

_Rachel._

Seth was staring over Ryan's shoulder as he read. "I like the girl. Very sweet."

Ryan scrunched up the paper and threw it in the bin before turning around and glaring at him.

"What?" Seth asked innocently

"I'm not stupid Seth," Ryan said.

"Looks must be deceiving."

"I know you like her."

"I like a lot of people," Seth was now sitting down looking up at Ryan who was leaning against the bench.

"You like her more."

"Moore? Michael Moore? Great guy, very anti-Bush. I meant to see _Fahrenheit 9/11_ but never got around to..."

"Seth!"

"Yes?"

"You break her heart..."

"You'll cut mine out and use it as a replacement?"

"Something like that."

Finally at an agreement, they both walked outside, kicking off their shoes and sitting on the edge of the pool, feet in the water. The weather was warm and the sun shone down upon them causing the water to sparkle and shine.

"So what's it like?" Seth asked after a long silence.

"What?" Ryan replied.

"Knowing that you're it. You're the only thing she has."

"By the sounds of it you might be up there with me soon."

"I'm not kidding."

"Can I get that in writing, cos you joke about everything."

"Not this."

Ryan paused for a moment thinking about all of the times in his past where Rachel had needed him. There were countless. He was her parent and at times it was hard for him to balance being the mentor she needed and the brother she wanted.

"No different to how it used to be," he finally said.

"So you've always been like this – the old married couple."

"She's my other half, man."

Seth screwed up his nose. "I've never got that expression. If she was your other half than technically you would have two bodies and be classified a She-Male."

Ryan gave him a sidelong glance and raised and eyebrow.

"You have way too much time on your hands."

As they continued to discuss Seth's lack of hobbies soft footsteps sounded behind them.

"Hey guys," Rachel said from the doorway.

"Ah, Rachel," Seth said turning to face her. "The She part of the Male."

Rachel looked at her brother. "Should I have an answer to that?"

"No," Ryan said.

"Got it."

Seth continued. "She bares a beautiful smile, eyes of gold and..."

"Milk," Rachel ended, holding up the bag.

Seth stopped short and Ryan let out a laugh. "Oh. Not the most exciting of things."

"And Twinkies for all," she announced, throwing the chocolate to the young men in front of her.

"And you wonder why I love this girl," Seth said to Ryan, the comment causing Rachel to tilt her head a little, intrigued.

"Seth why don't you put that stuff away?" Ryan said pointing to the bag in Rachel's hand.

"Will do."

Seth stood and took the groceries from Rachel whispering in her ear as he did.

"Next time I'll talk my mum into giving you more money."

"For what?" Rachel asked.

"More food stuff's of the junk food variety."

"Ah. Check."

Seth took the bag and disappeared inside, Rachel watching him until he was out of sight. Ryan beckoned her to sit with him.

"Strange guy," she said as she took off her shoes and added her feet to the pool.

"You have no idea," Ryan replied.

They both sat in silence for a time, not needing to say anything, just enjoying each other's company.

"It's nice here isn't it?" Ryan asked nudging her feet to get her attention.

"Huh?"

"Here. New Port."

"Oh. Yeah, it is. It's like those places on the postcards that I always dreamed of living in."

There was a silence and Ryan knew that Rachel was thinking of all of the promises their mother had made when they were little that some day they would leave Chino and start a better life. He remembered her hopeful face, each day slowly fading as she began to realise that the dream was just that. A dream.

"Don't you miss it though?" Rachel asked.

"Miss what?" Ryan wondered.

"Chino."

Ryan shrugged at the comment. "Yeah, I guess there are some things. I don't so much any more though. I have a new life now. I'm trying to leave the past in the past."

Rachel rested her head on her brothers shoulder and he rapped his loose arm around her shoulder.

"So what's planned for tomorrow?"

"Got a game."

"You still play?"

"Yeah, just took it up again. You wanna come watch?"

Rachel smiled and moved closer. "I do."

_TO BE CONTINUED........._

(So how is it so far? Next chapter things start to get a little more intimate between Seth and Rachel. Don't worry, it's all clean. Please review.)


	3. The Kiss

**THE KISS**

"So how's with the study?" Rachel asked walking into Seth's room.

He sat on his bed, legs stretched out, a heavy text book in his hands.

"Much with the boring, a little with the...boring," he replied looking up.

Rachel laughed, Seth loved it when she did, her whole face lit up and knowing that he was making her happy was something of a great thrill. She moved further into the room now sitting on the opposite end of the bed. Part of Seth wanted her to move closer, but part of him was unsure how Rachel felt in return.

"What are you studying?"

"Math."

"Oh, now I get the 'much with the boring thing'. Math was like the silver bullet of death at my school."

Seth put down the book and looked at her. "You went to school?"

Rachel shrugged aware of how interested he was in her.

"If you can call it that. It was more like a concrete, hell-hole with wire fences."

"Aren't they all."

"Maybe..."

She was now looking at him as well a slight smile on her face. Seth loved it when she half smiled; it was something that must have run in the Atwood family as he had seen Ryan do it many times. But something about when Rachel did made his heart skip a beat. He continued to watch her.

"Where's Ryan?"

"In the pool house," Rachel replied.

"Really?"

"Yep."

"And you're here?"

Rachel let her eyes travel around the room slightly. "Looks like."

"Sorry it's just that you guys seem to be joined at the hip."

Again Rachel laughed and Seth had to control himself.

"You noticed."

"That I did."

Rachel moved a little closer now. "Well when you go through what we have together and _survived_, you'll get it. Not that I wish that upon you or anything."

Seth nodded. "No wishing going on in this room."

_Well, by you anyway,_ he thought.

There was a long silence now and Seth was unsure of what he should say to break the ice a little between them.

"If you could change anything in your life, what would it be?" He blurted out before silently scolding himself at the lack of charisma in the question.

"Excuse me?"

"Don't worry, it was nothing."

"No...I mean it _was_ something."

Rachel moved even closer now so that she was beside Seth facing him. She looked into his eyes and he had to look away, her gaze almost enchanting.

"Why won't you answer me?" She asked calmly.

"Because I have no wacky pun to go along with it."

Rachel smiled at this and looked down slightly. "Is everything a joke with you?"

"You noticed."

Again silence and this time it was Rachel who looked away.

"Ask me again," she whispered.

Seth stared at her for a moment. "It wasn't a big deal."

"Then why'd you say it?"

"Um...making conversation...had nothing else to say...I'm an idiot."

"I'll go with the last one."

Seth smiled at the comment. "Thanks, nice to know I have your support in this."

Rachel turned and leaned back against him, her head rested in the nape of his neck. Seth's eyes went wide at the gesture, unsure of how to respond.

"So, Mr. Cohen, are you going to ask me?"

Seth wasn't thinking of what she was any more. Instead he was thinking of another question he wanted to ask her. A more intimate and honest one.

"Maybe later," he replied.

.........

"We're going out tonight," Ryan had told them. "Me and Marissa have plans. You'll be okay by yourselves?"

Rachel had raised an eyebrow at the comment. "No."

"What?"

"The fifteen-year-old from Chino and the wacky sixteen-year-old from New Port can't spend one night alone." Sarcasm filled her tone.

"Very funny Rach."

"I thought so."

As the couple left, Ryan turned back around to Seth and whispered. "No funny stuff with her, you hear me?"

That had been over an hour ago now and the house was eerily quiet. Kirsten and Sandy had long since left to attend a dinner party at Julie Coopers house so Seth and Rachel were left alone to make their own fun.

This consisted of a late night and a movie in the lounge.

Seth returned from the kitchen with popcorn and drinks, placing them on the table, careful not to spill the contents. He then sat down next to Rachel who had a blanket pulled over her and was reading the blurb on the movie they had rented earlier that evening.

"You didn't skimp on the butter, did you?" She asked picking up the bowl and examining the food it held.

"Nope. They're full of cholesterol goodness," he replied reassuringly.

Rachel put the bowl on his lap and moved closer, resting her head on his shoulder so she could reach it. Seth, out of pure instinct and want, placed his arm around her, which only made her move closer.

_What am I doing?_ He thought. _Sure, I like this girl, but Ryan will kill me!_

"Which ones yours?" Rachel asked indicating toward the drinks.

"On the left," Seth replied.

She leaned forward to take the two drinks holding onto him so she didn't topple over.

_Is that her hand on my thigh?_

It was.

_Oh my God!_

"There you go," she said handing him the drink and lifting hers. "To a great night in."

They toasted.

The movie ran long and in large proportions they both found themselves not watching at all but rather getting occupied with other things. Rachel found an interest in the buttons on Seth's shirt.

_Oh my God! Oh my God!_

"Look at these little button holes. How the hell are you supposed to take this thing off?" She asked.

"It's not hard when you know what you're doing," Seth said before he could stop himself.

Rachel moved away from him and leaned her back against the opposite side of the couch.

"Really?"

"Uh...yeah."

"I bet I could do it."

Seth smiled at that, he couldn't help himself. Here he was sitting on a couch with one of the most beautiful girls he had ever met; practically being told her wanted to take his shirt off.

_No, she didn't say that. Stop it Cohen, you're imagination is getting out of control._

"Is that challenge?" he asked playfully.

Rachel couldn't help but laugh that the comment.

"I'm kidding Seth."

_Dammit. Imagination, you've done it again._

"I'm gonna go wash up," she said picking up the empty dishes and leaving the lounge. Seth was close behind her offering to dry.

"You know I was kidding too," he said sheepishly.

"About what?"

"The challenge...with the shirt...and the buttons...and the undoing of the...uh...shirt...buttons."

"You never stop surprising me Seth."

He watched her washing the dishes, completely mesmerised by her beauty, waiting for the opportune moment...

Rachel placed the final glass on the drying rack as Seth went to take it. The glass slipped through his hands and fell to the floor, smashing into a thousand pieces around them. The bother knelt down to pick up the fallen object. Reaching for the same piece of glass, their hands met and they both froze looking at each other.

"Seth..." Rachel began but was cut short by Seth's lips on hers. She pulled away shocked and fell back onto her feet.

"Oh my God..." he said

Seth shuffled on his spot, cleaning up the last of the glass and scrambling to his feet.

"I'm sorry...I didn't..."

He turned to leave but stopped when he felt a hand on his wrist and a slight tug. Seth turned back around and fell to his knees before Rachel, where she pulled him close and kissed him. He rapped his arms around her and there they stayed for what seemed like an eternity, finally symbolising their feelings toward each other.

When Rachel finally pulled away she met his eyes and smiled.

"Sorry for what?"

Their faces were inches from each other and Seth rested his forehead on hers, still tasting her kiss, sweet and pure.

"Wow," he said.

"Yeah," Rachel breathed.

"So I guess this means..."

Rachel half laughed and looked at him. "Yeah."

Seth nearly collapsed with happiness, but instead he met her lips again for a long moment. He snaked his hand through her hair.

"You are so beautiful."

"Is this one of those times where I think you're serious but you're really joking?"

Seth smiled. "Like hell it is."

Rachel looked away.

"I'm serious..."

She buried her head in his chest embarrassed by his comment and he kissed the top of it, resting his chin atop.

_Well, Ryan, so much for no funny stuff._

**_TO BE CONTINUED_****_........._**

(LOL, don't we all love it when something actually goes right for Seth? Anyway, hope you like the chapter, please review and give me any suggestions, I'd love it. Next chapter is when the story arc really begins, and the 'something' from Rachel's past returns...and not in a good way.)


	4. The Past Returns

_**THE PAST RETURNS**_

Luke couldn't pull his eyes away from the young girl who stood with Seth. Her eyes were amazing, a hazel brown and gold, filled with an inner strength. When she laughed he whole face lit up. He watched as Seth showed her to a seat behind Marissa who greeted them warmly. Something was said and the girl tilted her head, half smiling. The action looked so familiar to Luke but he couldn't place where he had seen it before.

The whistle blew and the game begun.

Marissa turned to Seth. "We'd better go help them out at the snack stall."

As soon as she turned Rachel lifted her head from Seth's shoulder and he awkwardly removed his arm from around her shoulder. This only made Marissa smile.

"It's okay guys, your secret's safe with me."

Rachel Seth looked at each other.

"You'll be okay for a while?" Seth asked getting up.

"Yeah, go help," Rachel replied.

He kissed her on the forehead and she playfully pushed him away. Rachel watched as they left, now sitting alone amongst a crowd of strangers she'd never seen before. The ones she figured knew Seth and Marissa gave her curious looks, which she tried her best to ignore. She fixed her eyes on her brother who was busy running around the field. He had improved a lot since she had last see him play.

When half time came Rachel moved away from the stands and closer to the pitch where she could be away from the prying eyes of the crowd. She watched Ryan's team in a tight huddle, his eyes were scanning the stands, until they finally fell on her. He smiled and gave her a small nod and she winked at him.

Seth came back near the end of the game, once Rachel had moved back up to her original seat. Marissa stayed behind to help.

"Hope you didn't miss me too much," he said sitting down.

"Miss you? What are you talking about?"

"Very funny."

"You'll just have to make it up to me later," she said kissing him.

"No complaints here," Seth replied.

"Damn straight."

The final whistle blew and New Port won the match.

"Come on."

Rachel pulled Seth up and headed for the pitch where Ryan was already preparing to leave. She ran up and threw her arms around him. Ryan lifted her into his arms and twirled her around like he had done when they were little.

"How's my favourite soccer player?" She asked.

"Tired," Ryan replied with a half smile.

"Nice game," Seth said finally catching up.

"Thanks man."

"You gotta get more fit Cohen, can't even keep up with me," Rachel said playfully.

"What are you talking about Rach? I do plenty of exercise," Seth argued.

"Seth, making your character run around on a Playstation game isn't exercise."

Luke stood not too far away still trying to figure out what the girl was to Ryan. He had already worked out that she had come to see him, so...

_Girlfriend...? No, too young, plus he's with Marissa. Daughter...? No, too old..._

"Kirsten and Sandy were sorry they couldn't make it, something to do with work...you know how it is," Rachel told her brother.

"That's cool, doesn't matter," he answered shrugging.

They headed for the parking lot talking about the game and Marissa's absense when a man in his mid-twenties approached them.

"Hello Deary," he said.

Rachel instantly froze and Ryan moved a little closer.

"Remember me?"

Flashes of her past instantly came flying back, things that she had managed to block out. Pain, suffering, anything that her worst nightmares had contained hit her all at once and Rachel began to shake slightly from the impact.

"I told you..." she said, her voice a little strained.

"You told me a lot of things," the man replied.

"What's going on?" Ryan asked knowing that the answer was not going to be a good one.

"Come to see an old friend."

The man lunged at Rachel but Ryan was quick to intercept him, knocking him back with a punch.

"Seth, get out of here," Rachel whispered.

"What?"

"Just go!"

Seth took one last look at her before obeying her wishes and disappearing back into the stadium to find help.

The man circled Ryan before attacking again, this time with more power than expected. Ryan was knocked off his feet before he knew what had happened. A group of men, looking very similar to the original attacker jumped on him and kept him from getting back up.

"Run Rach!" He screamed

But the girl didn't have the chance to go anywhere because the man – Marsal she recalled – was stalking her.

"You don't want to do this," she said.

He smiled at her and leapt forward, slamming her to the ground. Rachel's head hit the concrete with a violent slap and her vision went blank for a moment. She struggled beneath his hold trying her hardest not to cry out from the pain she was feeling.

"I'm gonna give you so much pain, you little bitch," Marsal whispered.

Rachel shook off the agony and smashed her head into his, knocking him back but causing more damage to herself then anyone else. Marsal punched her twice with a blinding force. Rachel's head rocked but she managed to double-fist him in the chest and kick him off. She rose to her feet shakily, looking over at Ryan who was finishing off the last of his attackers.

Marsal ran at her again and she sidestepped out of the way. He, however, had anticipated the move and snaked an arm around her waist, throwing her against a nearby car. Pain shot through her middle like she had only felt once before, the same pain had caused once before. She threw a punch at him, but her strength was gone.

Marsal suddenly was calm, almost intimate.

"We could have had something," he whispered.

He kissed her gently but Rachel pulled away.

"It was all in your sick mind, you freak," she spat.

"Now..." he said pulling out a knife and holding it to her throat.

"Rachel!" Ryan cried before being knocked down again.

"...you leave me no choice."

Rachel closed her eyes and expected the worst. When nothing happened she looked around and found Marsal unconscious at her feet. She let out a breath and her legs gave from beneath her as she collapsed only to be caught by a young man she had seen Ryan playing alongside. He helped support her weight against his body as Rachel breathed shallow, her head pounding so hard, she thought she might black out.

"Who...who are...?" She began, looking up at her rescuer.

"Luke," he answered rapping an arm around her for extra support.

Ryan ran to her then, the last of his attackers finally giving up. "Rachel..." he said.

Rachel breath caught for a moment and Luke let her lean on him more as her body began to shake.

"We should get you to a doctor," he said.

"No...I'm fine. I just want to go," Rachel replied.

She went to move but stopped short as her vision went blurry. A crowd was now beginning to form around the parking lot. Ryan nodded and Luke lifted Rachel easily into his arms walking to the four-wheeled-drive and placing her in the passenger seat. As she stepped away Seth came running up.

"Rach..."

"Seth," she began. "You're okay?"

"Uh...yeah."

"Then I'm okay."

He nodded, knowing exactly what she meant and leaned in to kiss her. Ryan's eyebrows went up at the gesture before he jumped in the car and drove back toward the house.

.........

After a couple of hours rest Rachel was up and about, almost back to her usual self. Ryan had been able to patch up most of her wounds and was relieved to see there was no serious damage to her skull.

"Hey," she said walking into the lounge where he was watching cartoons.

"Hey."

Ryan rose form his seat and went to help her but she brushed him off.

"I've had worse and you know it."

They sat together on the couch, Rachel laying across the length with her head resting on Ryan's chest. He didn't know what to say to her, didn't know how to ask about the previous incident even though her knew she was aware of what was going on. She and Seth had not been a surprise, Ryan knew that it was only a matter of time before they both admitted to their feelings.

"So...are you going to tell me what just happened?" He asked thinking saying it straight would be the best answer.

"Bugs Bunny got hit with a hammer," Rachel answered watching the television.

"It's nice to see you haven't lost your humour."

"Comes with the package."

Ryan ran his hand through her hair, it was still as soft as it had always been, smelling of strawberries and something that reminded him of the ocean. Rachel closed her eyes, trying to savour the moment. It was just like when they were younger.

"Well..." Ryan pried.

Rachel was silent, she didn't know what to do because she knew everything to say. She knew who the man was, she knew why he was in New Port and she knew the reason for the attack. But knowing all this made it even harder to open up to a brother who had not been there to experience it all with her in the last few months.

"Rach, you can tell me anything."

"I know...it's just..."

"What?"

Rachel took a deep breath. "The guy – Marsal – he moved in next door after you left. Not the best of people to be around, but it was Chino, no one was decent..."

"It's okay," Ryan reassured.

"He talked to me a lot, said that we had something...threatened some stuff."

Ryan wasn't going to force her to repeat everything, he was just happy that she was telling him the minor details.

"Did he ever...do more?"

Rachel was silent again and Ryan knew the worst had yet to come.

"One day, he came over drunk, going on about how great our relationship was and how we should..." she stopped, the words catching in her throat. "He hit me...abused me...I never knew if he..."

Ryan's voice was calm. "Why not?"

"Cos I was out cold before anything happened."

Ryan's heart ached for her, guilt ran through him in waved. If he had been there, he could have stopped it. If...

"I woke up on the floor," she continued a slow stream of tears now running down her face.

"It's okay," Ryan said. "He can't hurt you any more. He's long gone by now."

He felt her take a hold of the front of his shirt as if for reassurance. Rachel sat up slightly resting her hand on his leg for support.

"Luke," she said.

"What about him?"

"I never...I never got to say thankyou."

"It's okay. Rest now," Ryan said as Rachel layed back down. "We'll see him in the morning."

Rachel did as she was told and was soon fast asleep in her brother's arms.

_**TO BE CONTINUED.........**_

(I told you this was where it started to get interesting. Hope you liked this chapter. Please continue to review with any ideas, improvements, you know the drill. In the next chapter things get even more messy with Marsal as you realise that he will do more than just threaten. I'll update soon.)


	5. The Attack

_**THE ATTACK**_

That morning Rachel awoke to Seth kissing her. She turned her head slightly and he kissed her down her neck.

"Hey," she said still half asleep.

He sat beside her on his bed – her new place since the attack. They now shared his room, leaving Ryan and Marissa the privacy they needed. "Hey."

"I wanna wake up to that every morning."

Seth gasped dramatically. "Oh, no! I cannot be making such a commitment so soon, what shall I do?" He asked in a Shakespearian accent.

"No fair."

"Though my heart allows me to do it this once, and thus making my one love happy to the fullest."

Rachel raised her eyebrows and gave him a strange look. Seth had his hand over his heart and was waving the other one around in big sweeps. He stopped his movement and looked down at her amused face.

"Oh, screw it," he said leaning in to kiss her again.

When he pulled away Rachel rubbed her eyes sleepily. Seth thought she looked more beautiful than ever in the morning, with Ryan's oversized shirt and her own sweat pants working as make-shift pyjamas.

"Where's Ry'?" Rachel asked.

"In the kitchen talking to my dad about yesterday," Seth answered lying beside her, his head resting on his hand.

"Guess, its gonna be a big deal huh?"

Seth shrugged slightly. "Nuh, you'll be fine, they won't do anything unless you want them to."

Seth was silent for a moment, which caused Rachel to look at him

"Can I ask you something?" He said.

"Didn't really give me an option there," she replied with a grin.

"Very funny."

"I thought so." She waited for him to answer. "Well..."

"Why'd you do it? Why didn't you let me stay and help you yesterday?"

"Seth..."

"No, Rach, I wanna know."

"Cos I didn't want you to get hurt," she said honestly.

Seth gave her an annoyed look. "Oh, but it's okay if Ryan gets the crap kicked out of him."

"I know Ry' can hold his own...look Seth, this whole thing, it wasn't an accident, okay. I knew what was coming and I knew it wasn't going to be good. Can we just drop it?"

"Yeah, maybe..."

Rachel felt her wrist for her watch but realised that she had left it in the lounge the day before. "What's the time?"

"Um..." Seth checked his own watch. "9:30."

Rachel stretched slightly and Seth smiled. "So what do I owe this wake-up call, other than a fight."

"Ooh," Seth said excited and a little too playful. "You _owe_ me now, do you?"

"You know what I mean. Why with the early morning-ness?" 

Seth slumped back down. "Thought you'd like some toast that wasn't cold."

Rachel laughed at that. "And the chance to kiss me."

Seth moved a little closer. "That's always the plan."

.........

A few minutes later Seth walked into the kitchen with his arm around Rachel and Ryan's smile was full of mischief.

"If I didn't know that was my own shirt I would say you two had been up to no good," he teased.

Rachel walked up to him glaring. "And if I didn't know you were my own brother I would have killed you long ago."

She leaned against him like a personal wall as he stood against the counter in the kitchen.

"Ah, Rachel, it's good to see you up and about," Sandy said, walking into the room.

"Hey Sandy, Seth woke me up," Rachel replied.

"In more ways than –" Ryan began but was cut off when Rachel smacked him in the stomach. "Ow."

"Serves you right."

He flicked her lightly upside the head.

"Dammit!" Rachel cringed as pain shot through her skull.

"Rach...I'm sorry," Ryan said placing his hands on either side of her face.

Rachel shook her head to relieve the pain but only succeeded in making it worse. She held onto Ryan for support.

"Note to self: don't do that again," she murmured.

"Do you want something?" Seth asked.

"I'm fine, Marsal just left one of his famous calling cards. I can deal."

Ryan frowned at the comment but decided it was best not to say anything just yet.

.........   
Later that night Rachel walked into the pool house only to spot a large package sitting on the bed. She walked over and opened the lid. Inside was a beautiful black halter neck dress. The back was completely exposed apart from an extra piece of material, which joined at the top and fanned out to connect to the bottom loosely. A split ran up the left side to the mid-thigh and the front came down into a loose v. 

"It's your size," Ryan said from behind her. "Marissa helped me choose it."

"Ry' it's beautiful. How did you afford it?"

"That doesn't matter."

Ryan reached out and pulled the dress from its resting place, taking Rachel by the hand and leading her over to the full length mirror at the back of the pool house. He held the dress up against her.

"You'll look amazing," he said looking over her shoulder at the mirror.

"For what?"

"The benefit Julie Cooper's holding tomorrow night."

"I wasn't going," Rachel said letting the dress fall over itself as she held it. "And for a damn good reason. I'm sure _Julie Cooper_ wouldn't want me there to ruin her party."

"But now you _are_ going."

"Ry'..."

"Seth wants you there, I want you there, and I'm sure Kirsten and Sandy want you there."

"I don't know..."

"Come on Rach, it'll be the first real chance you ever get to dress up and be all girlie."

"Are you saying I'm not girlie?" She accused.

"You know what I mean."

Ryan looked at her for a moment. Getting out of the house and having some fun would be good for her, she deserved that much. He nodded his head and walked away, sitting on his bed and opening a comic book.

Rachel hated it when he did that. He would leave a conversation half way through and use his reverse psychology to get what he wanted.

Rachel sighed, knowing she was not going to win the fight. "What time does it start?"

Ryan smiled. His plan had worked.

.........

The next night Ryan and Marissa were floating amongst the guests on the boat while Seth and Rachel sat alone outside, enjoying the view. Rachel leaned on the raising and watched the waves.

"Isn't it beautiful?" She asked.

Seth couldn't pull his eyes from her. It was the first time he had seen Rachel dressed up, her chocolate brown hair now scattered with golden streaks as it sat in waves around her face. The dress she wore clung to her body like they were one and her eyes sparkled in the moonlight. She wore only slightly more make-up than usual for she had a natural beauty.

Seth soon found the words he was thinking spilling from his mouth

"It definitely is."

Rachel looked at him well aware that he was not talking about the water at all.

"Are you trying to seduce me, Mr. Cohen?" She asked seriously stepping in front of him and putting her hands on her hips.

From his sitting position, Seth rapped his arms around her waist and pulled her close.

"Don't call me by my dads name, Miss. Atwood."

She moved closer.

"Rich boy."

Closer.

"Chino."

Closer.

Rachel raised an eyebrow and smiled, her face mere inches from him, their bodies touching. She brushed her lips lightly against his and whispered.

"I'll be back."

And with that she walked away leaving Seth to bask in his near score.

.........

In the bathroom, Rachel looked up at herself in the mirror, thinking about Seth's comment on how she looked. She smiled, shaking her head when the door slammed with a wild _bang_.

Rachel looked up to see Marsal standing there. Her body went numb, her head pounding where he had previously injured her.

"You didn't think I'd be back?"

Rachel's eyes darter around the room, there was only one exit and he was blocking the way.

"Funny thing happened out there before," he said reaching into his pocket and pulling out the same knife he had threatened her with a few days before. "I saw you with a young man, frolicking about."

He moved close now so that he was in her face, knife pointed at her throat. Rachel went to speak but was cut off by his hand connecting with her face.

"Slut!" He spat. "You, filthy, rotten, slut. You'll pay for being unfaithful to me."

He grabbed onto her hair and threw her into a cubicle, locking the door behind them as two girls walked into the bathroom. Rachel went to scream to them but Marsal covered her mouth with his hand and pressed the knife deep against her throat whispering.

"Make a sound, and I kill you, those girls and that young man you were having so much fun with before."

Rachel fell silent watching as Marsal waited for the girls to leave before speaking again.

"You know I love you right?" Rachel make so reply. "_Right_?"

He forced the knife deeper scraping it along her flesh, hard enough for her to bleed. Rachel murmured beneath his hand. He finally let her speak.

"What do you want from me?" She asked in a shaky tone.

"I want to show you how much I love you," he said kissing her.

Rachel struggled against his hold but his combined weapon and strength made it a losing battle.

"Let me show you," he hummed in her ear before pressing the knife deeper and raping her.

.........

Ryan and Marissa greeted Seth as they walked outside.

"Rach lost interest already?" Ryan asked.

"Funny Ryan, very funny. She said she'd be back," Seth answered.

"So did my last ex."

Marissa hit him and turned to Seth. "When was that?"

Ryan thought hard for a moment. "About a year ago."

"I meant when Rachel left," she insisted.

Ryan fell silent.

Seth looked at his watch and thought for a minute. "Almost half and hour."

"Maybe she jumped overboard," Ryan laughed.

"Hey!"

"I'm kidding Seth, she probably just got caught talking to someone and lost track of time."

Seth looked back inside to where all the people were, laughing and talking, sharing drinks and food.

"Yeah maybe."

Marissa was looking worried. "I've got a funny feeling about this guys."

Ryan looked at her concerned. "Marsal?"

Marissa made no reply.

"We have to find her," Ryan said. "Seth, you make a lap of the deck. Marissa, bathrooms and top floor. I'll look around the bottom."

They split.

.........

After almost an hour of searching Ryan and Marissa met up again.

"I've checked everywhere. Nothing," Ryan said with a definite worry in his voice.

"Same," Marissa added. She pointed to the bathroom door beside them. "Accept in there."

Ryan nodded and she entered, him waiting outside still letting his eyes search the room for any signs of his sister. It was only when he heard Marissa's frantic call did he enter the bathroom.

The moment he saw her, he knew what had happened.

Rachel sat on the floor, both legs bent beside her, dress pulled up over her knees.

Ryan ran to her and rapped his own jacker around her bare shoulders. When he touched her she looked up.

"I didn't think I did anything wrong," she whispered.

Ryan took her in his arms looking over at Marissa whose eyes were beginning to water.

"You didn't Rach," he replied.

When she didn't return the gesture Ryan pulled away. "I'm taking you home," he stated before turning to Marissa. "Can you tell Sandy and Kirsten that she wasn't feeling well, and tell Seth..."

He looked down at Rachel again, her eyes cast to the floor. Part of Ryan wanted to cry along with Marissa and part of him wanted to find the scum that did this and kill him.

"Tell Seth not to follow us."

Ryan knew Seth cared for his sister a great deal and that she in return cared a great deal about him, but this was something that he wanted to deal with. At the end of the day Ryan was Rachel's guardian.

He helped Rachel stand and then lead her through the crowd and off the boat, while Marissa turned the other way in search of Sandy, Kirsten and Seth.

TO BE CONTINUED......... 

(Hey guys. I know that chapter was a little heavy but I needed it there to lead into the next one which is purely a Ryan/Rachel chapter letting you in a little bit more on what she's been through. Please Review.)


	6. The Scars

_**THE SCARS**_

"What did she say?" Ryan asked Seth as he walked out of the pool house after saying a few words to Rachel.

"In her exact words; 'Can you get Ry'?' Does she ever call you Ryan?" Seth said.

Ryan looked through the glass walls of the pool house, at his sister who was sitting on the bed, one leg tucked under her.

He shook his head at the comment. "She never has."

And with that he entered the pool house, noticing that Rachel had already changed. She now wore seat pants, a turtle neck to hide her latest wound, and Ryan's favourite jacket. It was more her usual attire, and Ryan wasn't sure how long it would take before she could be convinced to dress up and attend another party.

He sat down on the bed with her. "I remember when you gave me that," he said referring to the jacket.

Rachel looked down at the garment and went to take it off. "Do you...?"

"No," Ryan replied. "It looks good on you."

He reached out a wand and smoothed down her still wavy hair.

"Ry'..." she began.

Ryan looked at her. Really looked at her. "Yeah?"

"Can I..." Rachel couldn't find the words. "You wanna know right? What he did to me...you want to know."

Ryan placed a hand on her arm as if for reassurance. "I don't _have_ to know, but I'd like too."

"I wanna show you...but I..."

"You can trust me Rach, with anything."

Rachel took in a deep breath and nodded. "I know."

She then removed the jacket placing it next to Ryan who was unsure of what she wad doing. Rachel removed the turtleneck to reveal a black spaghetti strapped top underneath. She pulled down the left side only slightly, to reveal a heart shaped scare below.

"It was burned," she whispered.

Ryan couldn't believe what he was seeing and he knew that this was not the worst. Somehow he just knew.

Rachel put the top back down and touched his now shaking hand.

"Are you..."

"I'm fine," he lied.

He hated lying to her, almost as much as he hated seeing her get hurt. But this time was different, he was lying to her only to help her.

Rachel pulled the bottom of the black top up until her pierced navel was showing. Deep scars lay from the base of her sternum to the top of the blue stone which pieced her flesh.

"They were nails."

Ryan touched her stomach where the scars were trying to think of what kind of a monster would do this to an innocent child. He could feel her muscles trembling beneath his touch and something clicked within Ryan's head.

"That's why he grabbed your waist. The first day he came, he rapped his arm around your stomach."

"He knows my weak spots," Rachel replied though her voice was hollow.

Despite its toned appearance, Ryan knew that this would be one of her most vulnerable areas. There was no telling how deep the wounds were, or if they would ever fully heal.

Letting the top fall back to its original place Rachel moved band on the top left side of her pants down to her hip line and Ryan's eyes fell upon a black tattoo inked into her flesh. 'Hate' was all it said in a demon style of writing.

"The first," she said.

Ryan felt numb. "He did that to you?"

Rachel shook her head. "No."

Ryan looked up at her and their eyes met as she spoke the words.

"I did."

Ryan frowned at that.

"It was after the first time anything had happened and I had just gotten to the point where I was on the edge...literally. One more step and I was gone."

"When...when was...?"

"Soon after you left, as you know, mum was close to follow, which left me pretty much to fend for myself. You don't know what it's like Ry', to think that...this is how it's gonna end. You're alone, you're scared, you're in a town where no one is safe...and you're being pushed constantly by some wacko you don't even know."

She paused for a long moment, her minds eye travelling back to the time itself.

"I remember, just thinking, 'what am I doing?' I was mentally and physically, just so broken. And I thought, why not symbolise that, mark it into my life."

Fixing the band to its original place Rachel let Ryan take in what she was saying. His face showed the shock of hearing her story at last, but also curiosity.

"Was that the only one?" He asked.

Rachel shook her head. "No. I've got a few more, not as straight forward as this but...the same kinda deal."

Ryan went to speak but found that he couldn't, the words just wouldn't form in his mouth. It was only when Rachel told him to say it did he.

"Can I see?"

His sister looked at him for a time suddenly realising everything that she had revealed to him. This was the life that she had lived, the life that he had not been apart of, the life she had sworn she would never tell. But somehow she knew that she had too. No matter how much she used to think he didn't, her brother cared about her more than anything. He wanted to protect her, to help her through whatever it was that she was going through.

Like him she had the skill of shutting herself out, of not letting people in and that would one-day get her killed.

Rachel moved her hand to her left wrist and removed the silver watch along with the bangle, which she wore. Turning the palm of her hand to face up, Ryan's eyes fell upon a tiny tattoo, the size of his little fingers nail at most. It was a small half of the Yin and Yang symbol. It was the dark half.

Leaving her things lying next to them, Rachel turned so that her back was to him and pulled the bottom of her top up yet again.

"You might have to..." she began.

Ryan took the material from her and moved the top up until he saw what appeared to be a 1 inch heart with a dagger hanging overhead, on her left side. The weapon was placed as though it would fall and destroy the vital organ at any moment.

Ryan touched the art and felt Rachel's muscles stiffen slightly.

"They're all in black," he said.

"They're all on my left side," she replied.

Ryan put the top back down and Rachel showed him the last of the symbols. She placed her foot on his thigh and rolled up the bottom left leg of her pants revealing a chain of word's in a language Ryan had seen before, linked around her ankle.

"At the end of all things," she translated. "It's Latin."

She unrolled the material and crossed her legs in front of her. "That's my canvas," she said.

Ryan looked interested. "Why are they all on the left?"

Rachel shrugged. "That's the side all my scars are on, it's pretty much the dark side of me. It's the part that represents who I used to be, how I used to deal."

"Has Seth seen them?" Ryan asked.

"Yeah," she said nodding. "A couple of days ago. It was an accident though, I normally try pretty hard to cover them, but you know how it is when you're sharing a room with someone."

Rachel cut herself off. She didn't want Ryan to think that anything had been going on between her and Seth. Nothing had. Yet.

"Does he know..."

"Their meaning? No. Accept for the obvious." She met his eyes again. "No one but you does."

Ryan smiled slightly. "When are you going to start on the light side?" He asked pointing to her right.

Rachel looked directly at him. "When things turn that way."

Ryan nodded at that knowing full well what she meant. Everything that had lead to this moment in her life was based around pain and loss. She would only start believing in something good, the day she moved past the hurt.

"You know what I think?" Ryan asked.

"No."

He touched the side of her face. "I think it's time you stopped hiding."

**_TO BE CONTINUED........._**

(Hey all. I know this chapter was a little short but I wanted to have the whole admitting-to-everything-that-had-happened chapter. The next one has a few things that were taken from the episode 'The Best Christmukkah Ever'. I've changed some of the scenes and stuff so that they fit in with the story. Hope you enjoy. Please review.)


	7. The Best Christmukkah Ever

_**THE BEST CHRISTMUKKAH EVER**_

The Cohen's had just finished telling Ryan about their Christmas traditions, with Seth adding in his new invention of Christmukkah when Ryan politely excused himself from the discussion. Christmas had come fast this year, and everything seemed to finally be falling into place – for Rachel anyway. Marsal had been put on probation; Rachel still trying to find the strength within herself to have him arrested. Sandy had suggested she take everything in stages, the first stage was now done; Marsal would now find it extremely hard to hurt her.

Rachel watched Ryan go from her position in front of Seth, his arms around her waist.

"I don't blame him," Rachel said when Ryan was out of sight. "Christmas, not big with our family."

"You must have some memories," Sandy suggested.

"Oh I got plenty, most of which involve my mother drunk, Ry' getting the crapped kicked out of him and me crying."

A silence swept over the room as Rachel's brutal honesty hit hard.

"Like I said, I don't blame him."

Seth squeezed her tighter and shook his head. "Not this year though. Christmukkah is on your side."

"How do you figure?"

"Well you have the combined power of Jesus and Moses, and those two working together...they're unstoppable."

Rachel forced on a smile.

.........

"I'm going to get a drink," Seth said, kissing Rachel on the forehead.

The entire family was at Julie Cooper's Christmas bash, each of them as bored as the next. Ryan was still finding it hard to think of Christmas as a celebration and was constantly looking over his shoulder, expecting something to go wrong.

"Don't be long," Rachel replied as he walked away from her.

The moment that he left, a young man who she had seen a few times amongst the crowd intercepted her.

"Hi," he said.

"Hey," Rachel replied.

"I'm Daniel. I didn't mean to just approach you like this but I thought, what is a guy like him, leaving a pretty girl like you alone for?"

Rachel raised an eyebrow. "For the same thing that you're holding."

Daniel looked down at his drink. "Oh, what are the odds?"

"Yeah, this being a party and all." Rachel smiled at Daniel's nervousness.

"So...uh...you're from Chino, right?"

"Born and raised."

"And you're Ryan's sister?"

"Yeah."

"_Sister_?"

"That's what they call the daughter."

Rachel's attention was away from Seth now who was moving through the crowd, only to be intercepted by Summer and forced into the house.

Daniel rocked slightly back and forth trying his hardest to think of what to say when Rachel helped him.

"I'm Rachel by the way."

"Daniel," he said again.

Rachel laughed. "Yeah, I got that."

Daniel looked at her for a second. "You're nothing like Ryan."

"Excuse me?"

"I mean, you look a little similar, but your personalities are completely different."

"Not so much. This is my fake, party smile, doesn't usually travel around with me much."

"So you're similar?"

"You tell me."

"I already did."

"Right."

Another silence.

"Well I'd better..." Rachel went to move away.

"Oh, sure, don't let me keep you. It was nice meeting you."

"You too," Rachel said honestly, she so far hadn't had the chance to socialise in New Port, generally making friends with Ryan's connections.

"Say hi to your brother for me," Daniel said walking away.

"Will do."

.........

"Rach!" Ryan called through the crowd as he saw his sister moving through the people.

She turned at the sound of her name and walked up to him and Marissa who had been in the middle of a 'anywhere but here' game.

"Hey guys," she said. "Have you seen Seth?"

"Uh...yeah," Marissa replied. "He was going into the house with Summer, about five minutes ago.

Rachel turned and looked at the door, which she was certain, was the one Seth would have gone through.

"Are you enjoying the party?" Ryan asked.

Rachel moved away from them toward the door. "I'll let you know."

.........

Seth was standing before Summer, staring into her face, the face he had longed for since he could remember. Her Wonder Woman roped – complimenting the same outfit – was tight around his body and she pulled him closer.

"Merry Christmas Seth," she whispered before kissing him.

"Seth...?"

"Seth looked up to see Anna standing in the room a confused look upon her face.

"Anna..." he said.

"Oh my God," Summer whispered looking to her friend.

They both stood there, staring at Seth now, waiting for an explanation.

A small sound like someone whose air had been cut off came from the doorway and they all turned to see Rachel standing there, a look of shock and hurt on her face.

The girls froze, knowing full well who the new arrival was.

Rachel couldn't form words, her mind went blank. Seeing her boyfriend standing there with two girls practically throwing themselves on him...

Rachel turned and ran from the room hearing Seth call out to her. She sprinted down the stairs into the lobby and finally to the front door, reaching out to take hold of the handle. Seth grabbed onto her arm having run after her the entire way un-noticed.

Rachel spun around to face him, ready to attack.

"Rach...I..."

"You what Seth? What the hell were you thinking?"

"I wasn't," he insisted, not being able to bare the pained look that was on her face, knowing that he had caused it. "It just happened."

"Things like that don't just _happen_. I trusted you."

"It was an accident, I swear."

"What you just tripped and fell on her lips?"

_She had seen the kiss, _he thought.

"Rach it meant nothing," he insisted.

"Then why'd you do it, huh?" Her voice was now entering the yelling range. "You had two girls throwing themselves at you, knowing damn well that the one you had come with tonight was sitting alone outside."

Seth didn't know what to say, this was the person he cared about the most, who was having a hard enough time trying to deal with everything else in her life without him contributing.

"I'm sorry."

Rachel was quiet now, looking deep within Seth's eyes and trying to find it in her heart to forgive him. Instead she whispered three words which nearly killed him inside.

"So am I."

She turned back to the door and opened it, stepping outside.

"Rach..."

Rachel looked at Seth one last time. "Merry Christmas Seth." She shut the door in his face.

Once outside Rachel stopped when everything she had just seen finally hit her. She thought she could trust Seth that he was not like the other people she had had in her life previously. That, especially with everything else in her life right now, he of all people wouldn't hurt her.

But he had. The pain was so deep that her chest physically ached.

Her eyes fell on an open bottle of vodka resting on the seat in front of her.

.........

When Rachel finally returned to the party, all thoughts of Seth were erased from her mind. She didn't need him, not now, not ever.

"Ry'!" She screamed running up to her brother and throwing her arms around him.

"Hey Rach, you're surprisingly happy," he commented looking over at Marissa who was in a deep conversation with one of her mum's friends.

"Yeah. I'm tired of having crappy Christmas holidays. So I said to myself, 'self. Less crying more partying', which I thought rhymed until I actually said it."

Ryan narrowed his eyes and looked at her.

"So how's your Christmas?" She asked practically hanging off him.

"An improvement." Ryan held her still, taking the glass she held from her hand. "Rach...are you okay?"

"Yeah, just in the holiday spirit. I thought I'd make the most of it and get really, _really_..."

Ryan smelt the glass he held. "Drunk?"

Rachel stopped short. "I'm not drunk."

Putting the glass down Ryan bowed his head a little to her. "I know what happened with Seth."

Rachel looked at him and he saw the pain return to her eyes.

"I know how you feel."

"No...you don't. It's like I've been ripped apart and half of me is missing. And I thought, why not begin the healing process?"

"Healing is talking, and laughing and having fun, not drinking."

"You drink," she stated.

"But not till I can barely stand! You're only fifteen Rach."

Rachel frowned at him. "So? I have pain, real, legitimate pain and this is the only way I can get it to stop."

"No it's not!" Ryan yelled.

"Yes it is Ry'! It always is! How do you think I've gotten through my life up until now? I'm not as strong as you think I am."

"Alcohol isn't strength!"

"It is for me!"

Ryan looked at Rachel. Really looked at her and when he spoke his voice was quiet. "You're starting to sound like mum."

Rachel looked back at him. "Don't even go there."

"It's true."

A long silence swept over them before Rachel began to walk away.

"I'm leaving."

"Don't walk away from me!" Ryan yelled.

"I'll do whatever the hell I want!"

Ryan ran after her. "Rachel..." he said taking a hold of her arm.

"Don't touch me!" She screamed pulling away from him.

Ryan stood there in shock, why was she doing this? Why was she making this even harder?

"Fine. Get in the car. I'm taking you home."

.........

Neither Ryan nor Rachel said anything as the car rolled down the quiet highway. Mostly because they had nothing too say. Both knew what Christmas meant fights, tears and alcohol and as much as they didn't want to admit it, they thought it would never change.

Ryan caught the sight of blue and red police lights behind him and reluctantly pulled over.

"Only tonight," he murmured.

Rachel remained silent and instead looked away from him and out of her window.

"Licence and registration please," the officer said.

Ryan glanced over at Rachel who still hadn't looked away from her original spot and handed over what the officer asked for.

"You haven't been drinking tonight have you?" The man asked.

"No sir," Ryan replied politely.

The officer looked past Ryan at Rachel. "Are you okay miss?"

"I'm just dandy," Rachel replied with a fake smile before turning away again.

"You kids have a safe trip home," the officer said before handing Ryan back the papers and returning to his car.

Ryan sat there is silence, noticing that Rachel had found and empty liqueur bottle on the floor and was now tapping it against her palm.

"Alcohol, cops and tears," he said, more to himself than anyone else. "Must be the holidays."

"Ironic huh?" Rachel stated.

Ryan took in a deep breath. "That's it," he said climbing out of the car and walking over to Rachel's side.

He swung the door open and ripped the bottle from her hands, turning and throwing it as far as he could into the darkness. It shattered into a thousand pieces when it hit the ground. Ryan then turned back to the car, taking hold of the door and slamming it shut over and over until Rachel screamed for him to calm down.

"Ry' stop it, you're scaring me!" She cried.

"Good," he replied stopping his rampage and leaning against the door. "Because you're scaring me."

He kicked at the dirt and moved away from the car, crouching in the dirt and trying to calm himself. Ryan couldn't handle this, he couldn't handle being told to believe something that wasn't true. Everyone had said this Christmas would be different...so far it had all been the same.

Rachel approached and knelt down before him. She stayed silent for a moment, watching her brother who held his head in his hands. She went to say something but only two words escaped her mouth.

"I'm sorry," she whispered.

Ryan didn't look up. "I know."

"I didn't mean when I said that this always happens, I just thought you wouldn't be so mad if you thought it wasn't the first time."

"I'm not mad."

"You...you're not?"

Ryan shook his head and looked up at the sky letting out a long sigh.

"I thought I'd left this all behind. Maybe I was just getting my hopes up."

"Don't say that!"

Ryan looked at Rachel seeing all of their past family gathering and not liking any of them.

"It's true."

"No," Rachel insisted. "I screwed up. I didn't mean for this to get out of hand and I didn't want you to have a crappy party, especially after everything. Ry' I'm sorry and I swear it won't happen again, I really do. I didn't mean to upset you."

Ryan smiled slightly. "You just scared me."

"I won't do it again."

"I know."

There was a long silence.

"Daniel says hi," Rachel commented.

"Who?"

"Some guy called Daniel that I met while I was waiting for..."

Rachel's words trailed off and Ryan saw her eyes become darker.

"I'm sorry about Seth," he said honestly.

Rachel was quiet for a moment. "Are all guys like this? You think you can trust them and _wham_, you can't."

"He's sorry."

"That's what the last one said too. I thought Seth was different, you know, he was _the_ guy that I had always wanted and I know it sounds corny but..."

"It doesn't."

When Rachel spoke again he voice carried the sound of innocence, of someone who was truly in pain.

"He hurt me Ry'. I never thought I could feel like this. It's like my heart has been torn out and it hurts too much to even breathe. I thought I thought I could trust him."

"You still can."

"Can I?" She asked honestly. "I trusted him to be faithful and that didn't really pan out too good."

"Maybe you should just give it some time, let things settle down."

"Yeah, maybe."

TO BE CONTINUED......... 

(Dunno how u liked this chapter with the whole episode adaptation thing, I just thought that it might be cool. Please review. Will post soon.)


	8. The Party

_**THE PARTY**_

Rachel had now stopped sleeping in Seth's room and again joined Ryan in the pool house. He was happy to have the company again but wished that things could finally be made right between his sister and Seth. An obvious tension now filled the house as the ex-couple avoided each other at all costs.

Rachel was still feeling the blow of Christmas and found it increasingly hard to connect with any member of the house out of fear that something would be done or said to create conflict.

Seth's unmistakable humour had now seemed to have found its end, and he had taken to the art of brooding over what had happened that fateful night.

.........

During the night Seth's bed felt empty. He missed the warmth, which Rachel brought, missed the smell of her hair, the way she seemed to fit perfectly into his arms. He missed watching her fall asleep knowing that in the morning he would wake up and she would be right there beside him, waiting to face another day together.

It was 2am and still he had not rested, just thinking of her made him restless. Seth ran the past days over in his head, thinking of all of the opportunities which he had had to talk things through and try and mend the tare in the relationship.

Seth lay awake, staring at the blackened ceiling.

.........

Rachel's eye's shot open but the images which had plagued her mind remained. Everything cold. Ryan laying motionless on the vinyl floor, his eyes closed, body still. A frightening breeze whistled by as AJ smiled. There mothers latest boyfriend held in his hand a hunting knife.

Still half asleep and slightly shaking Rachel turned to the other side of the bed.

"Seth..."she whispered.

Ryan lay there, eyes closed, still asleep.

_Seth?_

Rachel couldn't help but think the only reason why she had said the name was because that's who she wanted to see next to her. The one person whom she wanted to tell her that nothing she had seen was real. That it was just a dream.

She wanted him back.

.........

The following morning Seth was heading into the kitchen whistling to a made up tune when he was intercepted by Ryan and forced to follow him back the way he had come.

"Something about the way I'm facing isn't quite right," he said, his back now turned toward his original destination.

"She wants you back," Ryan said.

Seth looked at him blankly.

"I'm sorry?"

Ryan began to explain. "I was trying to get to sleep last night when Rach woke up and said your name like she wanted you."

"Oh no, I'm not going down this road again. Refer back to the amazing door in my face I received on Christmas curtesy of your darling sister."

"Look, Seth, you guys had something."

"Yes, and now thanks to the door in my face, we don't."

"No, thanks to the amazing pole up your ass, you don't."

"In ways of compliments, that wasn't really one."

Ryan sighed and tried to think of how he could convince his friend to stand and face what he had done.

"Just talk to her, even if you don't want to get back together."

"Who says I don't want to get back together?"

"Then _talk_ to her, women like that."

Seth laughed. "Since when do you know anything about women?"

Ryan only stared at him, the look enough to answer the question.

"Okay point taken. Will get on that, right away."

.........

Later that day Rachel was doing laps in the swimming poll trying to keep her body moving when Seth stepped outside and began to watch her. She didn't stop to greet him until he called her over.

Seth crouched beside the pool and ran his fingers through the water.

"I was hoping we could talk."

Rachel stopped on the opposite side to him and tread water from a moment before sinking below the surface. When she re-emerged she was directly in front of Seth, holding onto the side of the pool.

Seth had to force himself not to stare at her. He knew that it could only make matters worse if she noticed his eyes trailing up and down her bikini-clad body.

_Guess she really took that 'no more hiding' business to heart, _he thought.

"You're not gonna get out?" He asked.

Rachel looked around at the water and then back at him.

"I'm good," she replied.

Seth took a deep breath in and began. "Look, about Christmas..."

"What about it?"

"I never really got to...explain."

"My eyes pretty much did that one for me."

"No," Seth was really trying now, trying to get her see that this was a genuine apology. "You don't understand."

"Seth," Rachel said stopping his hand from moving through the water. "I don't need to understand." He voice was calm and even.

"So...you're not still mad?" Seth asked hopefully.

"I was never mad." Rachel thought for a second. "No, wait, that's a lie."

Seth nodded sheepishly.

"I was more disappointed."

"What can I do to make it right again?" Seth ended the question with something that he dearly hoped Rachel would be optimistic about. "Do you want to give this another try."

Rachel looked deep within his eyes.

"Yes...but you have to prove to me that you're not like the others. You're not going to go around behind my back."

"Rach I would never..."

She gave him a look.

"Will never do that again. I promise. You mean more to me than anything else. You make me feel like no one else ever has, or could. I just want you to be happy."

Rachel laughed at that, she couldn't help it. Seth wasn't one to be a huge romantic at all times, he usually just payed extra attention to her and dropped a few compliments. So hearing him talk like a character out of a love story was highly amusing for her.

"This is so weird," Rachel whispered. "I've just...I've never felt like this about someone before but..."

_Uh-oh, here it comes,_ Seth thought.

"I don't know if I could do this again, I don't know if I could honestly look at you and not see Summer or Anna hanging off your arm."

Seth felt cold then; the words had hit him hard. He thought that he was a shoe-in, that she would say yes and they would kiss and everything would be okay like in the movies.

"They're not here, they will never be here," Seth said waving his arms about.

Rachel nodded knowing deep within herself that he was telling the truth.

"So, how are you going to do this?" She asked.

"Well," Seth said moving a little closer to the pool's edge. "First I'm going to kiss you."

"Is that right?"

"Yeah."

Seth leaned forward and Rachel pushed herself up to meet him as their lips met and their make-up was finalised. She took a hold of the front of his shirt for what Seth though was support. His theory was corrected however when Rachel pulled back and tugged at the garment, causing him to toppled forward into the pool fully clothed.

"That's for the kiss with Wonder Whore," she said when he re-emerged shaking his the water from his hair.

"Oh really?" Seth asked diving forward and taking chase after her.

Rachel ducked under the water and swam as fast as possible. When she finally hit the surface again Seth had her cornered. He moved forward and snaked a hand through her hair, looking into her eyes and smiling.

"I think I'm falling in love with you," he whispered.

Rachel stared back smiling at her re-kindled love.

"I know what you mean," she replied.

Seth drew her close and kissed her again and from the window Ryan smiled.

"So are you going to come to the party with me tomorrow night?" Seth asked, helping Rachel out of the pool and rapping a towel around her shoulders.

"What party?"

"Some guys from downtown are holding it, supposed to be big."

"Downtown?" Rachel asked. "As in the bad side of town? Seth I know what these guys are like, I grew up with them, you don't want to get involved."

"But It'll be fun," he insisted.

"Is Ry' going?"

"I think I could convince him."

Rachel sighed and Seth couldn't help but do a little Snoopy Dance.

.........

The next night Ryan, Marissa, Seth and Rachel entered the party only to be confronted by what Ryan and Rachel had suspected from the start. Music pumped loudly and bodies moved everywhere, dancing, drinking and smoking.

"Just like old times," Ryan mumbled.

"Déjà vu ain't all it's cracked up to be," Rachel replied.

Seth and Marissa were already moving to the music, eager to join the crowd.

"I'll take you up ten bucks for which ever one of us can spot the first gun," Ryan challenged.

Rachel's eyes swept over the crowd, surveying each and every person with precision that could have only come from years of experience.

"Guy, back corner, got a 9-millimeter," she said quietly.

Seth followed her line of site. "Where?"

They all watched as the man's partner ran her hand up his back, and sure enough, a 9-millimeter gun was secured at the back of his belt.

Rachel held out her hand and Ryan handed over the cash.

"Nice one," he said.

"How'd you do that?" Marissa asked.

Rachel only looked at her. She didn't need to say anything for Marissa to understand that this was something she and Ryan saw everyday when they were growing up. Something that they would both like to forget.

.........

Later that night an argument began to surge between two drunken men over a girl and a poker game. Seth and Rachel were brought inside by the racket and quickly spotted Ryan and Marissa who stood not too far away.

Rachel raised a single eyebrow at her brother and he nodded.

Suddenly the tallest of the men pulled out a gun – one which none of them had spotted – and began waving it around his head.

Screams shot through the room as people began to duck and back away not wanting to get caught in the line of fire.

Ryan stepped in then.

"Look, you don't have to do this," he said calmly trying to convince the man to give up his weapon.

Rachel turned to Seth. "Get Marissa out of here," she whispered.

"What?"

"Seth, just do it."

Seth moved away, obeying what his girlfriend said, knowing full well that she was pulling another stunt like the one when Marsal had first attacked. She wanted him out of harms way and something about that made Seth angry inside. He was meant to protect her, not the other way around.

The non-gun wielder was now yelling loudly at Ryan, screeching about his man hood and dignity. Ryan put his hands up in defence but that didn't stop him from continuing his rant.

Suddenly the mans eyes went wide and he collapsed to the floor, shot.

"Night, night," the gun holder chanted.

Ryan tried again, this time more strongly. "Look, man, he's out, give it up."

"I ain't your man, Punk!" The man fumed.

He turned on Ryan and pointed the gun directly at him, but before he could react he felt a barrel pressing against his head. Turning slightly he saw Rachel standing there, gun poised, finger on the trigger.

Seth stood in shock. The moment the man had turned on Ryan, Rachel had pulled the gun from the dead victim's waistband so fast he barely registered it.

"Drop it moron," Rachel hissed.

The man only laughed. "A pretty girl like you don't know how to use one of them things."

Rachel pulled back the top section of the gun, hearing the bullets snap into line with the barrel.

"Don't I?"

The man visibly gulped. "Why don't you give me that before you hurt yourself?"

"Why don't you drop _that_ before I decorate the wall with your brain?"

He took another look at Ryan who still stood in his original place, before slowly putting down the gun and stepping away. His eyes scanned the room for a moment before he bolted out the door and into the street.

Rachel lowered the weapon.

"They'll never change," she whispered.

Rachel looked down at the gun she held before un-arming it and ripping the bullets out. She through the empty shell to Ryan who threw it to the grown and slammed his foot down on the barrel preventing anyone else from using it.

They looked at each other then. Brother and sister sharing another memory of their troubled past before turning and walking out of the house, Seth and Marissa following behind.

On the way out Rachel took the ammunition she held and threw it as far as she could into a blackened alleyway wishing that she could throw away everything in her life that related to what she had just seen.

_**TO BE CONTINUED.........**_

(I told you, you give me idea's and I deliver. My original idea was to never actually get Seth and Rachel back together but I guess it works out pretty good, and plus, all you guys wanted it so hey, what can I say? Will update soon. Please Review.)


	9. The Consequences

**_THE CONSEQUENCES_**

In the days after the incident at the party Rachel became distant to all the members of the Cohen's house. She didn't speak unless spoken too and even then the conversations were short and meaningless. Ryan had instantly noticed the change and knew that most of it had been because of what she had done that night. He knew Rachel had held firearms before, even used them, but this was something that was different. She was in a place now where everyone was saying things were going to be okay, that she was safe. Now she was at the point where she couldn't believe anything.

Things only became worse that morning when Sandy walked into the kitchen, a grim look on his face.

"What is it?" Kirsten asked.

Ryan and Seth looked up from their breakfast plates but Rachel didn't leave her spot on the couch, eyes cast to the floor.

"That was just Benny Staler from the police station," Sandy began placing the phone down with a look of shock on his face.

"What's happened?" Seth asked. "He shot himself in the foot again, didn't he?"

Sandy looked at each of them in turn before finally speaking.

"Marsal has been allowed to walk free."

"What?" Ryan voiced.

"They said that they have no grounds to keep him under arrest."

Ryan's eyes were wide. "What, is rape not breaking the law any more?"

Rachel was listening to the conversation, listening to Ryan almost completely lose it, but she made no reply.

"Ryan, I'm sorry, but there is nothing I can do."

"That's not good enough!" Kirsten yelled. "Now I'm the first one who will stand up if someone is wrongfully accused, but what he did was unforgivable."

"I know you're all upset, believe me I tried to get them to reconsider but they aren't hearing any of it."

"Then try harder!" Seth yelled. "Tell them everything!"

"I have Seth, this isn't something that I would normally let slide but they have made their point and stood their ground!"

"Then stand your own!" Ryan growled.

"I can't just march down there and tell them they are wrong!"

"You're a lawyer!"

"But I'm not the law!"

Rachel stood up then, and all their eyes turned to her as she moved away from them and ran upstairs, not saying a word.

Ryan went to go after her but Kirsten advised otherwise.

"Give her some time," she said. "This is harder for her than it is for us."

"What are we going to do? He's managed to find her the last two times he tried," Seth said.

Rachel listened to the conversation from her position, sitting on Seth's bed. She wanted to scream, wanted to tell them all to just shut up and drop the subject, that they were only making things worse, but she couldn't. She couldn't find the words, let alone the emotion to voice her opinion. She felt empty.

"All I know is that I'm not letting her out of my sight again," Ryan said.

"What about school, Ryan?" Sandy asked.

"What about it?"

Sandy moved over toward the group and sat down with them. "Look, the best thing right now is to not make a big deal out of this."

"But it is a big deal."

"I understand that, but Rachel needs things to be normal as much as possible right now. Both of you will still go to school and Kirsten and I will still go to work. Rachel will be fine in the house during the daytime and at night we are all home."

Ryan went to protest when Seth spoke up. "You're right dad."

Sandy stood shocked. "Can I get that in writing?"

.........

When Seth went upstairs again he heard the shower running softly next to his room and figured that Rachel was trying to relax a little after what she'd just witnessed.

He closed his bedroom door and sat down on the bed, waiting for her to re-enter his room. When she did she had a towel rapped around her body, her hair damp.

Seth loved her hair when she had just washed it, it made her look so innocent having it messy around her face. It made her look like nothing had ever happened to her.

"Sorry about what happened down there," he said as she ran a comb through her tangled hair.

"It's okay," Rachel replied absently, as though she didn't even hear him speak the words.

Seth stood from his bed, walking over to her and looking into her face for a time. Rachel made no move to return the affection and instead looked at him irritably.

"What?" She asked.

Seth took her hand and led her over to the bed. "Come here."

Rachel moved with him holding onto the top of the towel so it didn't slip down.

When they reached it and Seth sat down Rachel stopped short.

"Not now Seth," she said pulling away slightly.

"No I don't want to...just sit down with me for a sec."

Rachel let out a sigh and reluctantly sat down with her boyfriend who seemed to be studying her face at the moment.

"Are you okay?" He asked honestly.

"I'm fine," she insisted.

"Do you know what that John guy from the _Italian_ _Job_ said fine stands for? Freaked out, insecure, neurotic and emotional."

Rachel cocked her head to one side. "Yeah, right before he was double crossed and shot by one of his own men."

Seth looked at her concerned, nothing about her screamed Rachel Atwood. She was distant, and somehow seemed insecure about sitting there with him with nothing but a towel on, something, which she had never minded doing until now.

Seth ran his fingers up her arm drawing invisible circles along her silky skin. He trailed a line up to her shoulder, along her collarbone and up to her chin where he turned her face to meet his.

Rachel pulled away then, not wanting anything to happen between them at the moment, things were already screwed up enough, she didn't want to pretend everything was okay just because Seth wanted her too.

She stood from the bed just as Seth was about to kiss her and moved away from him.

"I said not now."

Rachel turned and snatched up some of her spare clothes which lay over Seth's desk chair and went back into the bathroom to change, leaving a troubled Seth in her wake.

.........

That afternoon while Rachel was alone in the house she took the time to think about the morning's happenings. Everything was going wrong for her lately. Though she and Seth had made up she couldn't help but think that what he had done had put a strain on their relationship that neither of them wanted to deal with. She couldn't justify her actions earlier in the day when she had walked out on him. Something inside her had made her leave, made her think that this was the one good thing she still had and if she let it develop it would be ruined like everything else.

Rachel sat in the lounge, in the same spot she had been that morning when Sandy had broken the news to them. News, which not only terrified her, but made her believe that nothing could be done to stop Marsal from getting to her.

It was working, his plan was working. She had shut herself off from everyone; even Ryan, whom she had always confided in, now just didn't seem to be enough. Rachel wanted to deal with things by herself, but when thinking about what that really meant, she wanted to run and hide in the corner of a darkened room until everything went away.

Sitting there with her head in her hands she didn't here the intruder until they spoke to her.

"Hello deary."

Rachel shot off the couch and instantly distanced herself from the man.

Marsal stood there, a smirk on his face, a bag slung over his shoulder. Rachel began to back away into the kitchen where she moved toward the knife drawer.

"Thought you wouldn't be seeing me again didn't you?"

Marsal moved with her, slowly following the path she was taking. Rachel's hand found the handle of a sharp kitchen knife and she rapped her fingers around it tightly.

When Marsal realised what she was doing he shook his head.

"No, there will be none of that, I only came to say goodbye."

"What the hell are you talking about you sick bastard?" Rachel asked never letting her grip loosen.

Marsal smiled and put his bag down on the kitchen counter, un-zipping it and reaching inside.

Rachel took a step back thinking that he would soon produce a gun, but Marsal shook his head again.

"There is no sense in killing you. Just wanted to give you an address where you can find me."

He placed a piece of paper on the bench and slung the bag back over his shoulder.

"Why the hell would I want to do that?"

Marsal looked Rachel up and down, his eyes scanning her body.

"Just in case you can't handle everything on your own?"

"What are you talking about?" Rachel demanded. "There isn't anything you can do that you haven't already done."

Marsal smiled. "True, true."

He moved away from her and back toward the front door calling out behind him.

"But you come and get me if you need help."

"What would I need help with Marsal?"

"The grand-daddy of them all," he said before walking out the door. "Oh and before I forget, you might want to lock your front door, you never know what kind of people will just waltz in."

Rachel stood frozen as she heard Marsal pull his car out of the drive and take off down the road. He had just walked straight in. After everything that everyone had said about her being safe in the house. They had never thought that he wouldn't think of a cunning plan, that he wouldn't pull a 007. Instead he had just walked straight in.

She ran their conversation over in her mind, trying to make some sense of what he was saying.

_In case you can't handle everything on your own._

She played his words over and over.

_Help with the grand-daddy of them all. What the hell does that mean?_

Rachel leaned against the counter thinking of all possible solutions.

_Grand-daddy...of them all._

_Grand-daddy._

_Grand...daddy._

Rachel looked up slightly as she suddenly realised what Marsal was trying to tell her, a detail that had completely missed her detection in all the chaos, which had surrounded his attack.

_Grand. Daddy,_ she thought.

Rachel's eyes went wide.

_Daddy._

"Oh my God," she whispered.

.........

That night Rachel eased out of bed, trying her hardest not to wake Seth who was sleeping beside her. After not getting a wink of sleep, worrying about her encounter with Marsal she decided that the best thing for her to do was admit to what had happened. But she couldn't tell Seth, she couldn't tell Sandy or Kirsten. She had to tell her brother.

Rachel bunched up the covers from it would still feel as thought Seth had his arm around her waist and tiptoed out of the bedroom. She walked through the darkened house and finally outside where the concrete paving was cold on her feet.

Sliding the pool house door open she realised that she was shaking. But not from the cold.

_I'm really gonna do it,_ she thought.

Making her way over to the bed she knelt down beside Ryan's sleeping figure, her weight barely enough to move the bed and inch.

"Ry'," she whispered, even though a part of her wished he wasn't going to wake up.

"Ry'," she said again, rubbing his shoulder slightly.

The breath caught in her throat as a slow stream of tears began to run down her face. If she told him, that would mean that everything was real. All of it.

Ryan stirred slightly but didn't wake up.

"Ry', please...wake up." Rachel's voice was no longer a whisper but rather one of urgency.

Ryan instantly shot awake, his mind knowing that something was terribly wrong. When his eyes fell on Rachel's distressed face, his fears were answered.

"Rach, what's wrong?" He asked sitting up in front of her.

Rachel tried to put words to it, but even she did not know how. The entire day she had managed to keep it together, to not lose control. But now, as she sat in the darkened pool house with her brother, she wasn't afraid to let her emotions take over.

The words not forming, she leaned forward, burying her head in Ryan's chest and cried.

Ryan rapped his arms around her shaking body, thinking of all of the possible things that could have happened to make her do this. The list was endless.

"Rachel," he whispered trying to calm her down. "Are you gonna talk to me?"

She continued to cry, the tears flowing more freely ever time she thought of what she about to do.

"Shh, it's okay, you know you can tell me anything."

Rachel took in a shallow breath. "But if I tell you..." she began, her voice muffled by his shirt. "That means that it's real."

"What's real?" Ryan asked. He leaned his head against the side of hers so he could hear the words.

"Everything. It means that it wasn't a dream and I didn't make it up. That it really happened, and he was really here, and..." She began to cry again.

Ryan now knew what she was talking about. It had to be about the incident at the benefit, there was no denying it. This had been the first time Rachel spoken of it since the event, and when she did, her emotions were true and raw.

"What make's it all real?"

"What he said today..."

Ryan frowned at the comment.

"What who said today?"

"Marsal."

Ryan moved closer, still not letting his arms fall from around her body. "He was here today?"

Rachel nodded slightly. "What he said...what he started." Rachel cried more softly now but never raised her eyes to meet Ryan's.

"Rach I don't underst..."

And then he did. Ryan knew exactly what she was trying to say. He lifted his face and rested his chin atop his sister's head, the reality of what she was telling him, hitting his chest like a brick. This was not like the others. It wasn't a scar or a memory, but rather something that symbolised everything Marsal had done and was capable of doing.

"Ry', I can't do this," Rachel whispered pulling Ryan away from his thoughts and back to reality.

He hugged her tightly. "I'm here for you," he said. "Whatever you need."

Rachel looked up at her brother, eyes bloodshot and scared. "Make it stop." Her voice carried a longing.

Ryan didn't know what to say, he couldn't make this stop and she knew it. In Rachel's mind she knew it. She leaned against him again and Ryan reassured her.

"We're in this together Rach. I'm carrying this with you. You're not alone, remember that."

Rachel took in a deep breath and moved closer to her brother, her head still resting on his chest. Her body had now almost completely stopped shaking at the knowledge that she had taken the first step. She had admitted to what was going on. Let someone in on a piece of her life.

However, she knew that things could only get worse.

**_TO BE CONTINUED........._**

(**_STORY TITLE!!!!???? Please help and give me some suggestions as I think the one it has now is rather plain._**

So what do you think? I was hoping that Rachel's secret would come as a surprise because it even surprised me when I thought of it, as I had not really considered any consequences to the Marsal attack when I wrote it. Hope you liked this chapter. I promise that I will have the story finished by the end of this week because that is when my holidays finish and I won't have any time afterward. Please Review and keep those suggestions coming.)


	10. The Run Away

**_THE RUN AWAY_**

That morning Seth woke with a start and realised that he was alone in his bedroom. Throwing on his robe he climbed out of bed and made his way down into the kitchen where Kirsten greeted him.

"Have you seen Rachel?" He asked.

Kirsten shook her head and Seth left her to her tea, moving outside and into the pool house where Ryan still slept.

"Rise and shine!" He yelled causing Ryan to groan as he woke from a deep sleep.

"What do you want Seth?" Ryan asked, rubbing his eyes.

"Have you seen Rachel?"

"Yeah she's right..."

Ryan turned to the opposite side of the bed where Rachel had slept that night and found that it was empty. He shot upright and looked around before calling out to her. There was no response.

"Oh no," he whispered jumping out of bed and walking past Seth to the door.

"What? What 'oh no'?" Seth asked following him into the house.

Ryan moved around the bottom floor of the house trying to find his sister.

"I've already checked Ryan, she isn't in here," Seth said.

Ryan stopped dead in the middle of the lobby his mind ticking back to the previous night when Rachel had been a complete reck in his arms. He took in a deep breath trying not to think of the worst that could have happened.

His fears were answered however when Sandy walked into the room an envelope clutched in his hands.

"This is for you Ryan," he said handing over the paper. "I found it with the newspaper."

Ryan snatched the letter out of Sandy's hands and tore open the seal. What his eyes fell on was something that he had been dreading.

_I've gone. Not really one for goodbyes so I thought it would be best if I didn't wake you. This is the only way. I can't stay with you and face what has happened. I just can't. Don't try and find me, just move on._

Ryan felt numb. Rachel had run away and he hadn't even realised until it was too late.

_I can't stay and face what had happened._

Ryan read the words over and over. It had finally become too much for her. Rachel could no longer deal with her life and Ryan couldn't help but think that this was the same thing she had gone through when he left Chino. The dark side. Standing on the edge of everything and not seeing any other better way but to jump and get it over with.

Seth stood behind Ryan frozen, not knowing what to think, not knowing what to say. He honestly didn't think that things had become this bad with her. But he knew from the look on Ryan's face that her brother knew exactly what was going on.

"We have to find her," Ryan said letting the letter fall and running back to the pool house to change his clothes.

Sandy picked up the fallen paper and moved into the kitchen whilst reading it, his mind racing as to what could have happened to make Rachel leave so fast.

Kirsten looked at him and saw the concern on his face.

"What is it?" She asked before he handed the paper over to her. Reading it quickly Kirsten stood from her spot and went to collect the two sets of car keys. "Oh God," was all that she whispered.

When Ryan came racing back into the room Seth had already changed into more suitable clothes than his 'yummy sushi' pyjamas.

"We'll split up," Kirsten stated. "You two take one car and Sandy and I will take the other."

She handed over the keys to Ryan who took them quickly.

"I'll tell Marissa, get her to stay here just in case she comes back," Sandy said before leaving the trio alone.

"What could have happened to make her do this?" Kirsten asked quietly.

Ryan remained silent and Seth knew that he was hiding something. He decided not to press the matter until they were alone.

When Sandy returned Marissa was following after him. She threw her arms around Ryan and kissed him gently.

"I'm so sorry," she murmured. When she pulled away she said. "I'll do anything."

"Just stay here in case she calls," Ryan said before moving away and out the front door.

"Alright, we'll check all of the local hotels, why don't you two have a look at the display homes, they're empty and big enough for someone to stay in for a time," Kirsten said.

Ryan knew that she was referring to the time that he had stayed in one of her fathers display houses, getting regular food and company from Seth and Marissa.

He nodded his head, he and Seth moving to one car and Sandy and Kirsten to another.

Finally alone in the car Seth asked Ryan the question which had been burning in his mind since this whole ordeal began.

"What happened Ryan?" He asked.

Ryan didn't reply, instead he kept his eyes fixed on the road, hands firmly placed on the steering wheel and drove like there was no tomorrow.

"What happened Ryan?" Seth asked again, this time with more aggression in his tone.

Ryan let out a sigh but didn't turn to his friend. "She came to the pool house last night."

Seth frowned at the comment, he thought he would have felt if Rachel had left his side last night. His always had his arm around her when they slept. Always.

"And what happened? What did she do?"

"We talked," Ryan answered.

Seth couldn't stand it when Ryan kept his part of the conversation to single sentences, it made him think that he was hiding something. And this time he knew that he was.

"And Rachel was okay?"

Ryan flicked on the indicator and took the next right turn. "If you can call crying in my arms okay," he answered bluntly.

Seth couldn't stand it any more. "You knew she was upset and you just left her?" Her asked accusingly.

"I didn't leave her Seth!" Ryan yelled. "I let her talk to me. I let her explain everything that was on her mind and then I watched her fall asleep."

Seth noticed that Ryan's knuckles were beginning to turn white from how tightly he was holding onto the steering wheel.

"Look, I'm sorry, it's just I know you know what's going on."

Ryan nodded his head slightly. "Yeah. I do know."

"This would be right about the time when you actually tell me," Seth pushed.

"Rachel's..." He began.

Ryan found it hard to put it into words and at that moment, knew what his baby sister was going through. She couldn't face the truth and even he was struggling to do the same.

"Rachel's what Ryan? Spit it out."

"She pregnant."

Seth fell silent, he honestly had not even thought of the possibility.

"It's not...?" He asked pointing to himself.

Ryan shook his head, the question coming as no shock to him. Despite what Seth thought, he had more of an insight into Rachel's relationship than the average brother. He knew what she had done whilst in Chino, not only because he was a relation but because she ran with him and his boys on more than one occasion. Rachel had grown up faster than any girl he thought he had ever met.

"That bastard," Seth whispered the truth finally hitting him.

Ryan remained silent. He was thinking of many worse words than that at the moment.

"When we find her, what's she gonna do?" Seth asked honestly, his tone completely changed to one of concern.

"I don't know," Ryan answered more to himself than to his companion.

He didn't know how Rachel was now going to deal with this responsibility; all that he knew was that that was not important at the moment. And what was, was finding her.

.........

Almost an hour had past and Ryan and Seth were beginning to lose hope in finding Rachel still in New Port. They had now split up, Ryan taking the left side of a long street of homes, Seth taking the right.

Now Ryan stood there, in the warm living room of the new home, watching her as she stared out of the window, not even realising that he was there.

"So this is how you deal with your problems, you run away," Ryan voiced.

Rachel spun around, her brother being the last person she expected to be there. Ryan saw that her eyes were empty, her face expressionless. Everything about her that he had grown to love was gone.

"You have no idea," she whispered, her voice low, words almost choked by the tears which were forming behind her eyes.

"I might if you let me in on any of it," Ryan said calmly walking toward her.

"You're one to talk. You're not exactly Joe-Here's-What-I'm-Thinking."

"I have my reasons."

"And so do I!" Rachel screamed.

Ryan stopped short, not expecting such an outburst but knowing that his words would have hit her deep.

"How can you act like everything is alright? Like this is some walk in the park for you?"

Ryan looked deep within her eyes and shrugged his shoulders. "If you want to fight me than go ahead, but it isn't going to get you anywhere."

Rachel only stared at him. "How the hell would you know what's right for me?" She turned her back to him and looked out the window again.

"I know what isn't right for you and that includes running away when things get tough. The Cohen's were beside themselves when they realised what you've done, how could you do that to them when they took you in? They want to help you."

Rachel was quiet for a while not wanting to say anything that might make Ryan think that he was winning this battle.

"I don't want people to feel sorry for me. I don't want anything from anyone."

Ryan nodded his head at the statement and moved closer to her. "Maybe if you grew up and had some faith in people..."

Rachel spun around then and attacked. "I have grown up!" She screamed. "I grew up so damn fast I don't know where else there is for me to go. I've been beaten, I've been abused. I've been raped for Christ's sake!" Her voice now turned to one of sarcasm. "So I'm sorry if I freaked, you know, and I'm sorry if I can't deal with the fact that I wake up in the middle of the night terrified. And that I left the only good thing that has ever happened to me because I can't deal with all the bad."

A slow stream of tears was now running down Rachel's face. She couldn't believe what she had just done. She had attacked Ryan, the one person whom she knew cared about her enough to let her do that, despite knowing what he was doing was right.

Rachel ran a hand threw her hair, finally coming to terms with what she had said.

"I just want to feel something that's not _this._"

Ryan moved to her now, resting his hands on her shoulders and looking into her eyes. "Let me help you," he said. "Let me into your life and just trust me. Maybe this is how it used to be but things are different now, we changed them."

"You can't," Rachel said pulling away from her brother.

"Why not?"

"Because it never stops Ry', this keeps happening and it doesn't matter how far I run or how much people say that it's going to be alright. In the end nothing ever changes."

"I promise you I'll make this right," Ryan swore.

"No..."

"Rachel I can help you."

"No..."

"Just tell me what I can do. You have to talk to me."

"Stop saying that!" Rachel yelled moving to stand in front of Ryan. "Stop saying that you can change everything, stop saying that nothing else is going to happen because it will Ry'!"

Ryan took hold of her arms again but Rachel ripped out of his grip.

"Stop telling me things just because you know I want to hear them!"

She was now fighting against him, hitting his chest, trying to make him go away, to leave her like nothing had ever happened.

"Stop pretending that everything is okay!"

Tears were now gliding down her cheeks as her blows became less powerful and the energy ran out of her body. Ryan caught her as she collapsed to her knees and sat on the floor breathing shallow.

"I can't do this Ry'," she whispered looking to the floor. "Who am I? _Really?_"

"You're strong, that's what you are," Ryan answered, his heart breaking inside from seeing his sister in such a distraught state.

"No...I'm not. Not like I used to be. I just can't handle this any more. I want it to stop hurting."

Ryan hugged her, rapping his arms tightly around her shoulders. "I'll make this right, I promise you. I'll never leave."

"Why do I believe in you more than I believe in anything else?" Rachel asked.

"Because you know that I will always tell you the truth. And I'll be there as a friend for whenever you need."

"Don't be my friend," Rachel said. She looked up at Ryan and he saw that her eyes were red from the tears. "Be my brother."

Ryan smiled down at her as she again rested her head on his chest. "I can do that."

Rachel took a hold of the front of his shirt. "Don't let me fall Ry'. Please don't let me fall."

Ryan hugged her tighter, never wanting to let her go. "I won't. I'll die for you Rach, if that's what it takes to keep you safe, I will."

_**TO BE CONTINUED.........**_

_(Hey guys, me again. Thanks for the review and to answer you about the whole Seth not protecting Rachel thing. You have no idea what's in store. Please review)_


	11. The Payback

**_THE PAYBACK _**

"What do you want?" Marsal asked the intruder.

He sat alone in an abandoned building not too far away from the Cohen's house.

The new company made no reply.

"Look, I ain't got nothing for you," Marsal stated.

"How about information?" They finally said, stepping out of the dark.

Marsal's eyes fell on a young man with dark brown hair and inquisitive eyes.

"It'll cost you," he spat.

The man pulled out a blue, metal crowbar from behind his back and began to casually tap it on the palm of his hand.

"Oh really?" He said.

Marsal's eyes ticked from the mans face to the weapon in his hands and the back again.

"Okay, maybe we can make a deal. What do you want to know?"

"Rachel Atwood," he said. "She mean anything to you?"

Marsal smiled at the question. "She's my girl," he gleamed.

"Really?" The man said moving a little further into the room. "Because that's not what she said to me last night. I think it was between me kissing her and us going to sleep in the same bed."

Marsal coked his head to the side and smiled menacingly. "So you're that Seth Cohen guy right?" Well nice to finally get aquatinted. Sorry about my rudeness but I gotta run." Marsal rose from his stop and turned to leave. "I have another appointment."

Opening the back door, Marsal realised that another young man blocked his way – this one looking very pissed off.

"Look brother," Marsal said, backing away into the room slightly.

"I'm not your brother," the man growled taking a step closer. "But I am the brother of someone, a brother you really don't want to mess with."

"Ryan Atwood," Marsal stated. "I've heard stories about you. Running with gangs, robberies, shootings, do you want me to continue?"

"Oh please do," Ryan said, stepping closer, his hands now turning into fists. "You're only making me madder."

"And you don't want to see him mad," Seth added. "Tends to end with someone getting punched."

"Is that so?" Marsal asked curiously.

"You hurt my sister," Ryan snarled stepping closer again. "No one hurts my sister."

Marsal cocked his head to the side. "Funny. You said no one hurts her but then I swear you just admitted that I did –"

Marsal didn't have a chance to finish his thought because Ryan's fist connected with his face, with a fast and deadly accuracy.

Marsal was knocked back by its power but only laughed.

"I warned you," Seth smirked.

"You think you're pretty tough huh? But who was the one that wasn't there when Rachel really needed them? When she screamed so loud that from the fear and the pain the walls shook. When I drove her so far over the edge that I knew she could never come back."

"Shut up you bastard!" Seth screamed.

Marsal turned to him now. "And you, thinking that you're enough of a man to hold her, and give her what she needs."

Seth glared at him before stepping closer, taking a tighter hold on the crowbar in his hands.

"I give her _everything_ she wants," he stated.

Marsal took a step toward him. "Does she scream for you?" He asked causing Seth's muscles to tighten. "When you're alone and the room is dark, and there is nothing between you and her body. Does she cry out like she did with me?"

Seth took a tighter grip on his weapon and swung it high above his head, slamming it down on Marsal who staggered backward.

"You sick son of a bitch! You put her through all of it and you didn't feel a thing!"

Seth could feel his body shaking, his emotions running on high. He couldn't believe that he was standing there with the person who had put the love of his life through hell and he was refraining from killing him.

"And I loved every minute of it," Marsal said, spitting out his blood.

Seth let out a scream and slammed the crowbar into him again and again.

.........

"Hey Coop," Rachel said coming down the stairs from Seth's room and into the kitchen.

Marissa smiled at her. "Hey Rach, how are you feeling?" She placed her hand on the young girls shoulder.

Rachel shrugged. Since Ryan had brought her back with him from the display home she had felt oddly calm. Everything seemed to be falling into place around her and the fear of being pregnant was becoming less and less as people gave her more and more support.

"I'm okay." Rachel looked at Marissa for a moment. "Have you seen the guys?"

"They went out for a while," Marissa answered.

Rachel studied her face, not believing that she and Ryan had actually parted for more than thirty seconds.

"Seth's crowbar's missing from his room," Rachel said slightly suspiscious.

Marissa shrugged. "Maybe he left it out in the shed."

"Or maybe you're not telling me everything," Rachel stated. "I grew up in Chino, Marissa, I know when someone's lying to me."

Marissa looked at Ryan's little sister standing in front of her. "Rachel..."

"Where did they go Coop?"

"I don't..."

"Where the hell did they go?" Rachel voice was powerful now, so much so that Marissa slightly jumped.

"It doesn't matter, you shouldn't worry. You need some rest."

"What I _need_ is for you to give me answers."

Marissa let out long sigh knowing that she wasn't going to win this fight.

"The address you gave Ryan," Marissa admitted. "They went to find Marsal."

Rachel stood numb for a moment before turning away from Marissa and running from the house, praying that she wasn't too late.

.........

"You like pain?" Seth asked honestly.

Marsal made no reply as he stood, torn and bloody before the pair. Ryan slammed his fists into his face – once...twice...three times.

"Cos we can give you plenty of it," Seth finished, taking the crowbar and smashing it into Marsal's chest. "And that way..."

Smash.

"You."

Smash."

"Can feel what it was like."

Footsteps sounded from outside, fast and swift and before anyone knew what had happened Rachel burst into the room.

"Seth no!" She screamed.

Ryan ran to her then, taking a hold of her arms and blocking her view with his body. He began to walk her back to the door.

"Rach, get out of here."

Rachel didn't hesitate to pull out of her brother's grip and run to Seth, forcing him to lower the crowbar and look at her.

"Seth please don't do this," she said, her voice full of want.

"I have too," he replied.

"No you don't," Rachel insisted. "You do this and I lose you forever. Don't make me go through that." She took his free hand and placed it on her stomach where they both knew a life was developing. "_Please_."

Seth looked at her, seeing that her eyes were aching for him to stop.

"Well isn't this magical," Marsal hissed. "Instead of screaming, she's begging for you."

"Believe me, you haven't heard me _beg_ for him," Rachel said all too slyly for Marsal's liking.

Marsal growled deep in his throat when he realised what she was implying.

"Slut!" He spat. "Filthy slut!"

He moved in for the kill, Seth turning to face him, shielding Rachel as he did.

"Touch her and I kill you," Ryan threatened moving up behind Marsal.

Marsal looked into Rachel's eyes for a time before smiling. She only realised what he was about to do once it was too late. Marsal turned and flicked open his pocket knife stabbing Ryan deep in the abdomen and causing him to stop short.

Seth took in a shallow breath and watched as Ryan wavered on his spot for a moment before falling to the floor.

Rachel broke from his grasp and ran to her brother.

"Ryan!" She screamed, using his full name for the first time in her entire life.

Rachel knelt beside her brother whose wound was bleeding heavily as his eyes glazed over.

"You would have been mine," Marsal said moving too quickly for Seth to intercept him.

He crouched down and grabbed onto Rachel's arm, hauling her into a standing position as she screamed out her brother's name. Rachel felt her feet leave the ground as Marsal threw her across the room.

Seth grabbed onto Rachel as she fell, but his strength could not battle Marsal's and they both fell to the floor in a heap.

Rachel cried our as an unspeakable pain shot through her middle and her vision went blank for a time.

Seth crawled to his knees quickly moving to her as she lay on her back breathing hard, hands clutched on her stomach.

"Rach...oh God," he said dreading the worst.

Seth could tell that she was forcing herself not to scream from the pain and instead only let out small sounds of agony as he placed a hand atop hers.

"Ry'," she said cringing in utter torment as waves of pain ran through her. "Get Ry'."

Seth took one last look at her, knowing that his best chance of helping her was to get her brother back on their side. He moved away from Rachel who was now on her side, trying to avert the pain.

Seth took one look at Ryan who was slowly beginning to try and regain is footing, before running over to him.

"Oh no you don't," Marsal said intercepting Seth.

Seth took one look at the man before him, thinking of how he had caused the people around him to be in such life threatening trouble and punched him with a strength that could have only come from sheer hatred.

Marsal slumped to the floor unconscious.

"Are you okay man?" Seth asked when he reached Ryan who was slowly getting to his feet, the wound the bleeding as freely as before.

"I will be," Ryan cringed.

He heard her before he saw her. His sister's cry to him. Ryan ran to Rachel's side in a complete panic noticing she was holding her stomach and instantly thinking the worst.

"Rach..." he said helping her onto her back as she shut her eyes against the pain. "Call 911!" He screamed to Seth who was quick on his cell-phone.

"Ry'..." Rachel managed, recoiling against the ache. "You're okay." She let out another agonising scream.

Ryan looked down at his sister whose breathing was now short and sharp as she battled against the need to cry out.

"Rach look at me, look at me."

Rachel obeyed and met her brother's eyes.

"Breathe, just breathe, okay."

Rachel did as she was told, trying to take deep, steady breaths but found that even they didn't work.

"Ry'," she whispered letting out another cry.

"Don't talk," he insisted hearing Seth on the phone behind him.

Rachel pulled a shaking hand away from her midsection placing it in Ryan's and looking deep within his eyes.

"Don't let me fall," she murmured before everything went black.

**_TO BE CONTINUED........._**

(Mwahaha!! I love not finishing chapters properly, and letting you deal with the suspense. LOL. Okay if that wasn't Seth sticking up for her the I don't know what the hell is and I am a failure as a writer. See I told you the best was still to come, I told you. Please review.)


	12. The Start Over

_**THE START OVER**_

When Rachel finally came to her senses her head swam, her mind not registering where she was. She slowly opened her eyes to the blinding lights and looked around. She lay in a bed, white and soft, feeling as though she was floating.

_This is too much like being dead,_ she thought, knowing full well that she wasn't.

Then her mind realised what was going on. She was lying in a hospital bed, cool room.

Rachel shot upright remembering everything.

Running... 

_Seth..._

_Ryan..._

_Blood..._

_Black..._

A pain shot through Rachel's middle and she let out a small cry and instantly awakening the person who sat next to her.

Ryan stood from his spot with a start and held onto her back for support.

"Here, be careful," he said.

His midsection exposed due to not wearing a shirt Rachel saw a bandage secured tightly around his mid section, the wound causing him to wince when he moved.

_Blood. It has been his blood._

"I'm okay Ryan, just..." Rachel leaned on her arm brushing Ryan's touch away.

Noticing that he was staring at her with an amused look on his face Rachel raised an eyebrow.

"What?"

"You called me Ryan," he said smiling.

"What do you know, I _can_ pronounce the end of it."

Rachel touched the bandage where she knew the knife had gone into his stomach, she felt his muscles tighten. Everything had happened so fast. None of them had seen it coming. Not the wounds, not the pain, not the...

"I'm sorry about this Rach," Ryan admitted causing her to come back into reality and away from her thoughts.

"I know."

Somehow Ryan could tell that she knew _everything_ he was sorry for, not just the situation itself.

"Rachel do you know what I'm talking about?" He asked.

Rachel looked up at him and let on a small smile. "I knew the second it happened. I felt it."

Ryan looked down at his baby sister, watching how brave she was in the situation. She had felt the baby she carried die. He was sure she was feeling it now.

"He wanted it to happen," she said. "He knew that as soon as you guys got there, that was it for him. He went after the last connection between us and he broke it."

Ryan looked down slightly. "Yeah..."

"Plus can you image you as an uncle?" Rachel asked honestly, a joking tone in her voice.

"I'm too young," Ryan exclaimed.

"What? You're _way_ old."

"Oh yeah, sure, make jokes at the expense of the guy with a hole in his gut."

"Always do."

They sat in silence for a while, Ryan knowing that though his sister was feeling complete sorrow for what had happened she was relieved in a sense. The burden had now been lifted and the fear gone.

"Maybe this was a good thing. I mean, I didn't _want_ it to happen, but if it didn't, everything would have changed and I knew I couldn't deal with that," Rachel said honestly.

"Hence the complete freak out," Ryan stated.

"Yeah, sorry about that."

Ryan smiled at her. "Don't mention it. Just glad to see you happy."

"I fell like I shouldn't be, but...I am."

Rachel looked at Ryan, deep into his eyes.

"He's gone, isn't he?" She said quietly.

Ryan nodded. "Cops took him away, said that he'll be racking up a while in jail. Plus I still have some of my old buddies in there who aren't very happy with what he did."

"Especially to their girl."

"_Especially_."

"You know, this is a chance to start over for us. No more pain and no more past. Everything gets to start fresh."

Rachel looked at Ryan who only stared back.

"And it's _not_ the drugs talking!" She insisted.

"Good, cos I was gonna say."

Rachel laughed slightly.

"I think we'll be alright," Ryan whispered.

.........

Seth can back into the room, arms full of food and goodies. Rachel sat on his bed, watching with an amused grin as he tried to juggle the contents. She and Ryan had been released from hospital that day and were now spending some quality time with their loves.

Seth flopped onto the bed beside her, spilling everything out around them

"Here we go. We've got, ice-cream, lollies, my dad's famous vanilla slices and..."

He pulled a group of cases out from behind his back.

"All the movies you could ever want."

"Such as..." Rachel said.

Seth moved up beside her. "Pirates of the Carribean."

"Johnny Depp, always a favourite."

"Anger Management."

"Maybe we should get Ry' in here for that one."

"My thoughts exactly."

Seth leaned his head against her collarbone. "What else...? Um..." He rummaged through the titles. "The Smurfs."

"Oh..." Rachel said.

"You know how tall they were?" Seth asked in a childish voice.

"How tall?" Rachel wondered.

"Three apples."

Rachel gasped. "Like you!"

"Hey, I'm not the shortest person in this room," Seth explained.

"I'm not short, I'm just small boned," Rachel replied with a smile.

"Isn't that the same thing?"

Rachel's smiled turned into a frown when she realised that Seth was right. She hit him hard. "Shut up!"

Seth couldn't resist teasing her; he loved it when she played mad with him. "Plus, 'small boned' usually implies that you're skinny and not short."

"Are you saying I'm fat?"

"Of course," Seth replied playfully inspiring another hit from Rachel.

"Stop picking on me!"

"I can't resist. I love seeing you pout."

"Meanie," Rachel sulked crossing her arms angrily.

"Ooh, jeez, that one cut deep," Seth said dramatically.

"Leave me alone."

There was a short silence before Seth shrugged. "Okay." He went to move off the bed when Rachel cut him off.

"No wait," she said taking a hold of his wrist. "Come back."

Seth turned around trying to make the most fun out of the situation. "But you just said that..."

His words were cut off as Rachel pulled him close to her and kissed him passionately.

"Okay," Seth said when they finally pulled away.

"Thank you," Rachel whispered.

"For what?" Seth asked.

"You know what."

Seth smiled, it made him fell good that Rachel was accepting of what he had done and knew why he had to do it. Something about that gave him reassurance.

.........

That night Rachel couldn't sleep, she was too busy thinking about the consequences of what had happened only a few days before. Gently sliding out of bed as to not wake Seth she moved across the room to the full length mirror in the corner. The moonlight spilled into the room, giving her enough light to see herself in the glass.

Rachel placed a hand over her stomach, her mind ticking back to when she had first found out that she would have a child. Despite knowing the nature of how it was created, she had wanted to bring the child into the world. It had been _her_ child.

She closed her eyes a single tear escaping her eyes.

Now the baby was gone.

Rachel felt two hands atop hers and a body behind her. Seth stood there, his arms around her, head resting on the side of hers.

"Are you okay?" He asked.

Rachel let out a breath. "I don't know."

He kissed her on the cheek and moved his head to her shoulder, where she could lean hers against it.

"Do you want something?" He asked.

Rachel shook her head, pulling away. "No. I'm just gonna get a drink of water."

"You want me to come with?"

"No, I'm fine, go back to sleep."

Seth kissed her softly on the forehead and Rachel closed her eyes against the sensation before he moved away and retreated back to the bed.

.........

In the kitchen Rachel heard a sound and someone curse softly.

Sandy was hopping on the spot after stubbing his toe trying to find his keys when he looked up and noticed her.

"Rachel, what are you doing up?" He asked.

"I'm just getting some water," she replied.

Sandy nodded and looked at her closely. "How are you holding up?"

Rachel shrugged. "Been better."

"If you need anything you know that I'm here, Kirsten too."

"I know, I think that's what's keeping me from completely losing it right now."

Sandy moved to her and placed his hands on her shoulders smiling.

"Don't give up, things will get better, they just take time."

Rachel smiled. "Thanks."

Sandy kissed her on the forehead, something he had never done – something only a father would do – and began to walk away.

"Good night Rachel."

"'Night Sandy."

Coming back up the stairs Rachel eased back into the bed trying her hardest not to wake Seth. Little did she know he had been waiting for her.

"Come here," he said pulling her close.

Rachel moved over and lay atop him, her body spanning the length of his, her head resting on his chest.

Her weight barely registered against Seth's body, but he liked knowing that she was close to him, that he could be there for her.

"Do you wanna talk?" He asked.

"I just want to sleep," Rachel replied, feeling his arms circle around her body and his hands rest, crossed over her back.

She could hear his heart beat, feel his breathing, all the while thinking of how lucky she was that he loved her so much. He cared about her to the extent where he had put himself in the line of fire by going after Marsal.

Rachel kissed his jawbone before resting her head back on his chest and falling asleep.

**_TO BE CONTINUED........._**

(Hey peeps, sorry for the little delay on updating, I have been flat out busy lately and haven't had time to sit down and so some writing. I know I said in an earlier note that the story would be finished by the end of the week...well I think I might have lied. I have completely changed the angle I was going to take with it which means that it will be a little longer than I thought. But I will finish ASAP.)

**I was also wondering if you guys would like a sequal cos I won't write one unless it's going to be read :) **


	13. The Question

_**THE QUESTION**_

Sandy and Ryan stood at the kitchen window watching Seth and Rachel by the pool. Seth swam around crazily as Rachel watched from her position sitting on the edge.

"So how is she?" Sandy asked honestly.

After having only a brief conversation with Rachel two nights ago he was still unaware of all of the details.

Ryan stared out the window for a second watching his sister laughing and splashing Seth.

"I honestly can't remember her being this happy."

"Never?" Sandy asked curiously.

"Look at her," Ryan said.

They both stared at the couple outside and Sandy instantly forgot everything Rachel had said to him. She was happy around Seth; it seemed to be the only time she truly forgot about everything that was happening in her life.

"That's the not the girl I brought with me to New Port," Ryan finished.

.........

Seth began to swim slowly up to Rachel in his attempt to mimic _Jaws_.

"Here comes the Seth Octopus on his deep see adventure."

Rachel couldn't help but smile, he was clearly trying his hardest to make her happy. And it was working.

"His quest – dangerous. The reward – priceless," he finished.

"MasterCard would love you," Rachel commented tightening the bikini string around her neck.

"What is this?" Seth asked coming up close and touching her legs with a fake curiosity. "Has Seth Octopus found life? I think yes!"

He let his eyes visibly trail up her body to meet hers before gasping.

"And it comes in the form of a beauty he has never had the privilege to lay his eyes on."

Rachel made a dramatic turn of her head. "Where?" She asked.

Seth waited until she wasn't looking before moving his hands to her waist and pulling her slightly toward him.

Rachel turned back around feeling herself moving closer to the edge of the pool.

"Seth no," she said trying to bat him off.

In one quick movement, too fast for Rachel to counteract Seth had pulled her into the water with him.

"Seth!"

She jumped on him, pushing his head under the water. As his face came up Seth began to speak again.

"Argh!"

Rachel again pushed him under.

"Seth Octopus is under attack!"

Under again.

"Mayday! Mayday!"

Before Rachel had the chance to again submerge her boyfriend he lifted her up and out of the water causing her to scream in shock. Using her lightweight to his advantage Seth turned with Rachel still in his arms and let her go, sending her crashing back down into the water.

When she emerged only seconds later Rachel charged at Seth, and the battle began.

.........

Sandy let out a small laugh as he watched the pair frolicking about in the pool.

"Seth just loves her," he said.

"Yeah," Ryan replied smiling as his sister splashed her companion.

"You know, I honestly can't remember Seth being this happy."

"No, he cracked a smile last night when they had rollerblading monkeys on the Discovery Channel," Ryan commented.

Seth turned to him. "But that was only because Rachel was saying how cute they looked."

"Good point."

They continued watching the couple in the pool Rachel managing to get Seth in a headlock.

"So when are you gonna ask her?" Ryan wondered.

"Tonight after dinner," Sandy answered.

"I think she'll like it."

'I hope it's not too soon."

"After everything she's been through with this family?"

"True. It's just that Kirsten and I are so nervous."

"Do you want me to be there?" Ryan asked.

Sandy thought about the query for a moment. "That would be nice."

"Okay."

.........

That night as the family sat around to enjoy a roast dinner curtesy of the take-out store down the road, Seth made aeroplane noises as he flew his fork over to Rachel's mouth.

"What are you, twelve?" She asked playfully.

"Only on the inside," he replied.

Sandy looked over at Kirsten who in turn looked at Ryan, who nodded his head.

"Um...Rachel, Sandy and I have something that we would like to talk to you about."

Rachel and Seth instantly stopped and stared at her. Rachel's heart sunk, she could see where this conversation was going, and it wasn't good.

"Shoot," she said.

"Well, Kirsten, Ryan and myself have been talking about your current situation," Sandy stated.

"Typical, leave me out," Seth grumbled stabbing a roast potato and shoving it into his mouth.

"And we decided that it was time."

Rachel looked at him wide eyed thinking the worst. "For what?" She asked.

"Well you have been living with us for a while now," Kirsten said.

"And we were wondering..." Sandy paused which only made Rachel panic even more. "You know you're family to us now, nothing can ever change that...but what would you say to making that permanent."

"You mean...?" Rachel asked.

"You never had a proper childhood, but you can still have a proper life. We would like to ask for the honour of becoming your legal guardian's," Sandy finished.

"Like with Ryan," Kirsten said giving Ryan a small rub on the shoulder.

"Oh my God, I thought you were going to kick me out," Rachel said completely shocked by the question.

"We would love to have the opportunity to care for you as legal parents."

"I think I'm gonna cry," Rachel managed.

"Wow," Seth said. "Way to keep a secret from us."

"I can't believe this," Rachel stated looking from person to person. Her eyes fell on Ryan who only smiled, his eyes telling her that it was okay.

"Don't feel pressured to give us an answer right away," Kirsten insisted.

"I'm finding it hard enough to speak."

Seth had not been listening to the conversation; he was contemplating the consequences of this new statement.

"Wait a second," he said, causing everything to pause in their tracks. "Doesn't that mean, if she says yes, that we will be brother and sister?"

Sandy nodded his head. "Legally, yes."

"But..." Rachel began looking from Sandy to Seth and then back again.

"I know that this will be a hard decision for you to make Rachel, that's why we want you to take your time and think of all the options," Kirsten said.

"No," Rachel began. "I mean, thank you _so_ much, but I can't..."

"Rach this is what you've always wanted," Ryan voiced, speaking for the first time.

Rachel looked into her brother's eyes and places her hand on Seth's arm. "But this is what I've always _dreamed_ of. And though a real family would be...I don't even have the words...I just, I can't lose Seth over that."

Seth placed his hand on hers. "Remember, I'm always here, no matter what. This will be a good thing for you, so I'm not going to stand in the way. Just believe that you can have anything, because you can."

"I have everything," Rachel said.

Sandy nodded slowly. "Understand Rachel, that the offer is always open, for whenever you think you might change your mind."

Rachel smiled as Sandy and Kirsten walked off.

"Why did you do that?" Seth asked once they were gone.

"Because I can," Rachel stated.

"You get a kick out of playing with people's minds?"

"Only yours. Seth listen to me, I don't want to lose you, not even over something as huge as this. You heard your dad, I'm family to them no matter what, but if I accept their offer, I'm can't be your girlfriend."

Ryan looked over at the couple. "I think, you might want to sleep on this Rach."

"Why is everyone acting like I am out of my mind?" She asked.

"Because you are!" Seth stated.

"I'm out of my mind because I can choose between my head and my heart? What kinda person says that that is bad?"

"The Seth kinda person."

"I thought you'd be happy."

"We are," Ryan insisted. "It's just that this is something huge and if you make a mistake you might end up regretting it."

"What mistake is there to make?"

"Choosing the wrong thing," Seth said.

"We're together, nothing else matters." She shrugged. "And besides, I can always change my mind when we break up, it wouldn't matter then."

"You're already planning our break up?" Seth asked.

"Hey, gotta control what's on the horizon."

"Women," Ryan mumbled.

"_Men_," Rachel retorted with a smile.

**_TO BE CONTINUED........._**

(Oh the sadness, there is only 1 more chapter to go!! But you can still make this story live on by telling me that you want a sequel cos I got a few ideas running around in my head, but I will only write it if I get enough people wanting it. Please review. See ya soon)


	14. The Light Within

_**THE LIGHT SIDE**_

Rachel re-emerged from behind the door with a new, more appropriate outfit on. Dressed up jeans and a deep red halter-top donned her body as she attempted to put on her black stilettos whilst standing. Eventually she gave up and threw them on the bed where Seth sat with an approving look on his face.

"Stupid hair," she mumbled as she ran a brush furiously through her locks.

Seth smiled at her frustration and hurried attempts to be ready in time for them to leave for the party, which Kirsten had organised for the families of New Port beach.

"Come here," he said eventually, taking her hand and leading her over to the bed where they sat.

"Someone's overtly playful," Rachel commented.

"Yeah...well," Seth replied.

"And does that someone happen to want _something_?"

"Good idea, but no."

"Then what? We're gonna be late."

Seth looked at her for a moment, at the amazing girl that she had become before his very eyes.

"I wanted to give you something."

"My mind if flashing back to the you _wanting something_ speech."

Seth looked down slightly before finally speaking. "Rach, you know how much I care about, right?"

"Sometimes too much for my own good."

"And the last year has been like living in a soap opera for you."

"That's the understatement of the century," she mocked.

"And I'm gonna make sure that this year is different."

"What are you talking about?" Rachel asked beginning to become suspicious.

"I wanted to give you something."

Seth fished around in his pocket before pulling out a small jewellery box and holding it out in his hand. Rachel only stared at it, a look of confusion and fear washing over her face.

"Seth, what...?"

"Don't look so freaked," he said. "I'm not proposing."

"Good cos I was kinda scared."

Rachel slowly opened the box he still held, revealing a silver ring inside. Tiny rose coloured stones lay across the band, which twisted around itself.

"Oh my God," Rachel said. "It's beautiful."

Seth pulled the ring from its resting spot and slipped it onto her left middle finger.

"I just wanted to show you how much I care about you."

Rachel smiled and leaned in, kissing him lightly. "I already knew."

.........

Ryan and Marissa stood away from the crowd, drinks in hand, talking for the first time in almost a month.

"I missed you and school lately," Marissa said looking at Ryan whose eyes were fixed on hers.

"Yeah, me and Seth haven't been going lately, just cos of everything..." Ryan replied

"So how is she doing?" Marissa asked.

"Who?" Ryan replied.

"Rachel. The last time I saw her she was running out the door trying to get to you and Seth at Marsal's."

"Oh, yeah she's doing a lot better."

"That's good to here. You know you two are _so_ cute together. You're like an old married couple."

"Not really something I'd like to hear," Ryan replied honestly.

"In a good way though," Marissa said placing her hand on his shoulder. "She makes you show a side of you that I have never seen before."

"What side?"

"The non-Chino side. You become a completely different person when she's around."

Ryan shrugged almost regretfully.

"No, it's not a bad thing," Marissa insisted. "I think it's great that you get on so well together. I wish things between me and my sister were like that."

Ryan looked away from her and into the crowd. "You don't want to _have_ to be like that," he replied quietly.

Marissa forced him to look at her. "What do you mean?"

"It's not exactly..."

"Ryan, what?"

"How we got like this, it's not something that you want to have to go through."

Marissa smiled. "I know that, it's just so great to see that you have formed such a tight bond."

"Yeah, maybe."

A silence swept over them before Seth and Rachel appeared.

"Rachel, we were just talking about you," Marissa exclaimed.

"_Really_?" Rachel asked intrigued. "Not giving away all my secrets now, are you Ry'?"

He gave her a lopsided grin, Marissa's words still in his mind. It was not until now that he had realised just how close he and his sister had become over the years. It had always just seemed to be something natural, something that didn't seem out of place, but now...

His thoughts were interrupted by Rachel holding out her hand to them.

"Look what Seth gave me!"

"Wow," Ryan replied.

Marissa took hold of her hand to have a closer inspection. "It's beautiful."

Ryan leaned over to Seth and mumbled. "Thanks a lot man."

"What can I say? Unlike you, I have standards."

"Do you want to go get a drink?" Marissa asked Rachel.

Rachel looked down at the girl's hand, her glass still half full. "Top up then?"

Marissa smiled and led her away from their dates.

"Ryan said you've been doing better," she said once they were out of earshot.

"He did, did he?" Rachel asked.

"Yep."

"Well for the first time in his life he would be right."

Marissa smiled at the comment, her married couple theory surfacing in her mind again.

"I hear you might be enrolling in our school soon too."

"Oh, yeah. Sandy's idea. He said, new year, new start," Rachel answered.

"So after the holidays I'm assuming?"

"Something like that, depends how I feel about it. Believe me I'm in no hurry to go back to school. Anything that means Ry' can hover over me more than he already does is generally put on hold as long as possible."

Marissa laughed. "Old married coupled," she whispered.

"Sorry?"

"I said you two are like an old married couple."

"Not really something I'd like to hear," Rachel replied causing Marissa to smile even wider. "What?"

"That's exactly what he said."

"We really have to get away from each other," Rachel stated.

"I think it's neat."

"Neat?" Rachel asked taking a sip of her newly collected drink as they made their way back through the people.

"Yeah. It's amazing how you two can be so close and not kill each other."

Rachel laughed at the comment, she couldn't help it. "Oh we kill each other, just not in the literal sense. There is definitely a lot of _wishing_ to kill each other going on."

Marissa looked at her for a moment, almost envying her for being so close to her boyfriend. Rachel knew things about Ryan that she would never know.

"You shouldn't look down on the relationship, you two have saved each other."

Rachel remained silent, the comment hitting her deep. She and Ryan had saved each other. They had survived their upbringing in the rough streets of Chino _together_. They had been through everything imaginable and kept themselves going _together._

_He's my strength_, Rachel thought.

Without her brother she didn't know what she would do. Nothing would be the way that it was now. She probably wouldn't even be alive.

_He saved me_.

As they approached the pair again Rachel ran up and threw her arms around Ryan, not being able to control her need to show him how much she was grateful for everything he had done.

"Do you remember when you asked me when I was going to start on the light side?" She whispered in his ear.

Ryan stood with his arms around her and a look of surprise came over his face. He thought she would have forgotten their conversation about her many tattoos and markings.

"Yeah," he murmured.

Rachel pulled her head back from his shoulder and watched what she was doing as she moved the bracelet on her left wrist further up her arm. Ryan didn't move his arms from around her waist as she showed him a new tattoo. It was the Yin and Yang, which he had seen before on her left wrist, only this time, the light side was inked in her flesh. In the curve where the dark side would have sat to form a circle he spotted a small letter in curled writing.

'R' 

"What's that for?" He asked.

"It's for you," Rachel replied. "You're my light side."

Ryan smiled at that and hugged her tightly, never wanting to let her go.

**_THE END.........for now_**

(Well my little munchkins this is the end of this part of the story. I can't

thank you all enough for all of the support that you have given me

through this process. I would still love to get feedback from you. I also

have some great news. A sequel is in the works. I am not sure

when I will be posting but hopefully it will be soon. All I need are a few

extra ideas and suggestions for a title. See you soon. Peace out.)


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